Maybe I'm Amazed
by AliceDances01
Summary: While working as baristas in high school, Cocky Edward and Snarky Bella become unexpectedly close friends. Now reunited at college, they struggle to find the courage to act on the intense, less-than-platonic feelings they've always had for each other. AH
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine, okay? I wish.**

**Chapter 1**

Transferring to the University of Washington, Edward decided as he strolled down one of the main paths across campus, had definitely been the right thing to do. No question. Only a few weeks into his first semester back on the West coast, and he couldn't be happier. The last year had been spent at the University of Chicago with the intention of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a doctor. And as every day had passed, agonizingly slowly, at that, he'd become increasingly convinced that it was the wrong fit.

His passion was music, not medicine, and he'd been a fool to ever think otherwise.

After a heart-to-heart with his parents, Edward had decided to move back to Washington – both to be a closer to his parents (who had supported his decision unfailingly), and because of the U of W had a fantastic music program. The best of both worlds, as he figured it.

And he'd missed the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, whether he'd admit it or not. The mountains, the ocean… the endless days of cloud and drizzle and rain. Okay, so the weather often left something to be desired, but aside from that, Seattle was most definitely one of his favorite cities in the world, and he was thrilled to have the opportunity to finally really _live_ it.

Bounding up the steps of the building that housed his next class, Edward joined the herd struggling their way through the door as a steady stream of students poured from the classrooms and towards the door. Once inside, the crowd was able to disperse somewhat, but not before something small and warm slammed into him.

"Sorry," a soft, clearly embarrassed voice mumbled. Edward's brow furrowed slightly, thinking he knew that voice from somewhere, and he glanced down. A small brunette had been his assailant, and she was already turning her face back away from him, her gaze angled downward. But that didn't stop him from taking in her reddened cheeks, or the long, wavy hair that was tied into a haphazard knot at her neck. A lightbulb went off, and Edward broke into a slow, happy smile.

"Bella…?"

He was sure it was her, but she kept going, as if she hadn't heard him. And considering the ear bud cords he could clearly see as she turned and walked through the front doors, she likely hadn't. Crap!

Edward cut across the hall and joined the swarm heading back outside, craning his neck to see over the heads in front of him. If he lost her in this crowd…

"Excuse me… sorry… excuse me," he muttered as he pushed his way through the crowd, earning more than a couple of dirty looks and grumbled profanities. He didn't care. He just needed to reach her before she disappeared.

When Edward finally stepped through the door, he immediately broke away from the pack and stood at the top of the stairs, hoping to spot her familiar head as it bobbed through the sea of students.

She was gone.

"Shit," he swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He hadn't seen her in more than a year, and when luck allowed their paths to cross again, he lost her. "Fucking hell."

Bella Swan. God, that girl… that girl had been something else. He hadn't seen her in over a year, but he was sure that had been her. And it made him want to see her again.

_---_

_Flashback – Three years earlier_

_At 17, Edward Cullen was Big Man on Campus at Port Angeles High. He had it all, and he knew it – the looks, the brains, the talent, the athleticism, the money. Everything required to ensure an easy ride through those tumultuous teen years. He was Mr. Popularity, and oozed the confidence and cockiness that generally came with that title. _

_All the guys wanted to be his friend (or just wanted to be him), and all the girls wanted him. He wasn't a man-whore, but he did his fair share of serial dating. The number of girls in Port Angeles and the surrounding towns who he hadn't gone out with, at least once, was probably smaller than the number he had. _

_Even the injury that had benched him for the rest of his high school football career didn't affect his reputation. And it was because of said injury that Edward was currently being shown around behind the counter of Java Jive, the only coffee shop in the tiny town of Forks. Since Edward was no longer able to be involved in sports, his father had decided it would be a good opportunity for his son to learn about responsibility._

_So Edward had reluctantly found a job._

_He could have probably gotten something in Port Angeles, but since the Cullens lived halfway between there and Forks, Edward had options. And, quite frankly, he'd rather not schlep coffee and crullers anywhere his friends were likely to see him._

"_So, do you have any questions?" _

_Edward shook his head and smiled reassuringly at Tom Jones (god, the poor bastard, to be stuck with that name), the owner of the little café. "Nope, I think I've got it."_

"_Good. Your co-worker for tonight's shift will be here any minute. She knows everything there is to know about this place, so if you're not sure of something, just ask Bella." _

_As if on cue, the bell over the front door jingled and two tiny brunettes entered the shop. _

"_Bella, Alice," Tom greeted them with a warm smile and a twinkle in his grandfatherly eyes. _

_The taller of the two waved, and the prettier girl chirped, "Hi, Tom." Short, dark hair, big grey eyes, wide smile… If that was Bella, Edward figured that maybe the job wouldn't be so bad after all._

"_What can I get you, kiddo? Your usual?"_

"_Hmmm, I don't know," she mused, forefinger pressing against her lips as she perused the menu boards. Edward was vaguely aware of the other girl slipping behind the counter and disappearing into the back room. "Maybe I'll wait for Bella to come back out and let her surprise me."_

_Edward sighed in disappointment. Not Bella, then. Damn. But if she was Bella's friend, and in there enough to have a 'usual'… yeah, that could be just as good._

_Not that he was looking to date anyone. He had a girlfriend, and she was actually pretty great. He could still look, though, and appreciate the scenery. Having eye-candy around made everything so much more tolerable._

_The door behind them swung open, and the other girl – Bella, Edward corrected himself – joined him and Tom at the counter. _

"_Bella, this Edward," Tom announced, making the official introductions. "You'll be showing him the ropes tonight. Edward, this is Bella – she's the best barista I've got. And this bouncy little gal over here is Alice. You'll see a lot of her around here, especially when Bella's working."_

_Bella eyed him warily, and he looked right back, appraisingly. She wasn't bad, but nothing really special, either; definitely not a head-turner like her little friend. Still, she had nice hair, a cute figure, big, dark eyes… but overall, she was just very much the girl-next-door, which had never really been his type. Even so, she was a girl, so Edward flashed his best send-the-hearts-a-fluttering smile._

_The response wasn't quite what he'd been expecting. He got a blush out of her, and a rather pretty one, at that, and she bit her bottom lip gently. But then, quicker than he could process, it was like a switch was flicked. The blush faded, the lip was released, and that somewhat shy demeanor was gone. Bella quirked an eyebrow, and cast him a small, tight smile. "Hey," she replied, her tone… dimissive?_

_His smile faltered. What the hell…?_

"_Oh my god," Alice squealed, bringing all attention back to her and saving Edward from having to try to further interpret Bella's reaction to his charm (or lack of reaction, to be precise). "You're Edward Cullen, aren't you? Oh wow, I knew you looked familiar! I saw you play at all the games against our school. You were amazing!"_

_Edward turned his dazzling smile towards his gushing little fangirl. Now that was more along the lines of the reaction he was used to. Not... whatever the hell that had been from Bella._

"_Bella, you're working with a legend from these parts," Alice continued, practically bouncing with her enthusiasm. "You probably never saw him play," she looked back at Edward and explained, "Bella's not really into football, and she only moved here this past spring, so it's not like she really would've had a chance to see you play," Alice addressed Bella again, "but he was freaking amazing on the field! Nobody could touch him."_

_It was practically impossible for Edward to not puff out his chest a little with pride over Alice's words. Because yes, dammit, he __**had**__ been amazing. At the rate he'd been going, he could've written his own ticket to any college in the country. He would have had full-ride offers coming out his ass. But then he'd gone and blown out his knee, and… yeah. Those days were long gone._

_Bella continued to look unimpressed, though her lips were curling up slightly on one side. "Right. So to what do we owe the honor of your presence in our humble little coffee shop?" Her tone was dry, though her voice surprisingly lovely and rich. "Just felt like slumming it with poor common folks of Forks?"_

"_Bella!" Alice looked at her friend with wide, shocked eyes, before turning back to Edward with an apologetic smile. "You'll have to forgive her. She's…," she seemed to search for the right word, but finally gave up with a helpless shrug, "Bella." _

_Rolling her eyes in dismissal of both Alice and Edward, Bella turned and began speaking softly with Tom. Edward leaned his hip against the counter and folded his arms over his chest, smiling down at Alice. "So you're a regular around here, are you?" he asked, completely unable to not flirt with a girl as pretty as the one before him._

_Alice giggled and batted her eyes slightly, which had Edward's smile growing wider. Yes, much better. Now this was the reaction he was used to getting from girls. Hell, from women of all ages, toddlers to grandmothers, and everyone in between. So… what was that Bella girl's problem?_

_He continued chatting and flirting with Alice while Bella spoke with Tom, jotting down a couple of notes on a pad by the register. Then Bella took her place behind the counter, and Tom took Edward into the back room, quickly showing him where some of the main supplies were kept (the ones that would likely need replenishing sometime during the evening). _

_After Alice and Tom made their escape (though not without some more flirting between Alice and Edward), Edward and Bella were alone in the little shop. An awkward silence descended, broken only by the music playing softly over the store's sound system. Cautiously, Edward turned towards his new co-worker, only to find her leaning back against the counter, hands in the pockets of her apron, watching him carefully. _

_Edward was suddenly more uncomfortable than he could remember being in a long, long time. It was as if those big, dark eyes of hers were looking right through him. She was judging him, and clearly finding him lacking. He shifted from one foot to the other nervously, and tried not to let her see just how much she was unnerving him. _

"_All right, Hotshot," she said slowly, lips quirking with wry amusement. "Let's see what you've got."_

---

Edward sighed, his eyes scanning the swarm of co-eds one last time. Maybe he'd been imagining it. Maybe it hadn't been Bella after all. He hadn't gotten that good a look at her, after all. And there were _a lot_ of brunettes in the world, even ones who blushed like a tomato when embarrassed, and were barely ever seen without their iPods plugged into their ears.

But there was only one who'd ever managed to turn his world upside down, and make him like it. And now, he was on a mission to find her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Stumbling through the door to her dorm room, Bella set her iPod on her desk, tossed her book bag unceremoniously onto the floor and flopped, face-down, onto her bed. A small, pitiful groan escaped her lips as she took a deep breath and let it out.

Days like this should come with a warning label.

"Tough day, sweetie?"

Bella turned her head just enough to be able to peer across the room at her roommate. "Bite me, Alice."

The other girl grinned and flounced across the room to sit next to Bella. "Anywhere in particular?"

"Ha ha," Bella deadpanned before burying her face in her duvet yet again.

"Come on, Bella," Alice crooned, rubbing Bella's back soothingly. "Tell Auntie Alice what's wrong. You know you want to."

Bella grunted, but that was the only reply she was willing to give. Not surprisingly, it earned a giggle from her roommate.

"Let's see," Alice began thoughtfully. "You had a short story due in one class, and a poem in another… Oooooooh. Did you have to read something aloud?"

Another grunt.

The hand on Bella's back continued rubbing. "Which one?"

"Poem," came the muffled reply. Of _course_ it was the poem. Poetry was Bella's least favorite form of creative writing, in part because it seemed to be the medium that resulted in her most intimate thoughts and feelings being poured out onto paper. So _of course_ they'd had to read their work aloud. A little warning might've been nice. Then she could have properly censored herself, rather than laying herself bare in front of the entire class. Hell, she'd almost have preferred to strip naked and perform an improvised soft shoe number. Sadly, that hadn't been an option.

"Can I read it?"

The very adamant 'no' was also muffled.

"Bell-aaaaaa," Alice wheedled. "Pleeeeaaaase? It's just me. You know I love everything you write."

"No."

Clearly, Alice wasn't ready to give up. "Why not?"

"Because."

"Because _why_?"

Bella sighed, refusing to look at her friend. She knew Alice would love it. It was her job as her best friend. But there was no way she was going to show anyone else that piece. It was a morose poem about unrequited love, and she didn't exactly relish the idea of anyone, even Alice, gaining that kind of insight into her messed up psyche.

"Too fucking embarrassing," she mumbled. With a sigh, Bella turned her head to the side and looked up at her friend, her cheek still pressed against the bed. "So embarrassing I might actually drop the class so I don't have to face any of those people again."

Which was overreacting, she knew, but still. Her poem had actually been well received by her classmates and professor, but that wasn't the point. Bella didn't like anyone glimpsing that side of her – the sappy, romantic, girly side. She kept it under wraps for good reason, dammit, and now her cover was at least partially blown.

Alice winced sympathetically, and moved her hand to Bella's hair, untying it from the knotted ponytail and finger combing out the tangles. "Was it really that horrible?"

Again, Bella sighed, closing her eyes and just letting enjoy the feeling of Alice playing with her hair. It had always had soothing affect on her, from the time she was a small child. Apparently, some things she'd never outgrow.

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know," she conceded finally. "Probably not. But I couldn't get out of that class fast enough. I practically tackled some poor bastard in the hall as I was bolting from the damn building."

This, of course, caught Alice's attention. "Was he cute?"

"No clue. I didn't even look up," Bella admitted with a snort. "I was too busy trying to will the ground to open up and swallow me to put me out of my misery." Another sigh. "But with my luck, he was probably the hottest thing on campus." All the more reason she was glad she hadn't let him see her face. At least if he ever saw her again it was unlikely he'd be able to identify her as the loser who'd tried to run him down.

"Speaking of hot guys…" One eye opened, and Bella gazed suspiciously at her friend. "Have you heard anything from McHottie?"

Of all the people for Alice to bring up… Because of course he'd been the inspiration for the Poem of Great Mortification. If she didn't know better, she'd think Alice knew that and was fishing for more information.

"Nope. Not a peep since he left for Chicago last fall." She closed her eyes again as Alice braided a section of her hair. "You know that." It was common knowledge that Edward was a sore spot, as far as Bella was concerned, so she wasn't sure why Alice was bringing him up. She'd been really hurt by the way he'd just cut all ties with her. She'd thought they'd become pretty good friends over the almost two years they'd worked together at Java Jive, and had hoped to keep in touch, at least via email or something. But he hadn't suggested it, so she sure as hell hadn't.

Alice sighed and picked up another section of Bella's hair to braid. "I know," she said gently. "And I'm sorry. It's just that I've been thinking about him a lot lately – about him and you, specifically – and I don't know why. I was wondering if maybe something had changed, and you just hadn't bothered telling me."

Interesting. Usually when Alice became preoccupied with thoughts of something or someone, it meant something. What that something was changed every time and was pretty much unpredictable, but Alice rarely focused on anything random without a reason revealing itself at some point.

But Bella wouldn't let herself hope, no matter how much she would have liked to hear from him. She missed their talks, the easy camaraderie they'd eventually fallen into, despite their incredibly rocky start.

**---**

_Flashback – Three years earlier_

_It seemed Bella was scheduled to work with Edward every shift she had, and it was starting to wear on her. He tried talking to her, tried to win her over, but she refused to bend, refused to give him anything._

_She knew boys like Cullen. Hell, she'd dated one with the __**exact**__ same attitude and charm back in Phoenix, and had learned her lesson well. She wouldn't make the mistake of believing the bullshit again. It was all an illusion, and his true colors would eventfully show._

_Bella just hoped she was around to see it when his little empire crumbled._

_The shop was empty, and she was taking the opportunity to wipe down the refrigerated display case. Edward was refilling napkin dispensers behind the counter._

"_You don't like me," Edward said out of nowhere. He didn't make it a question, more of a statement of fact._

_Bella glanced up at him, arching an eyebrow. "Wow. Can't get anything past you," she drawled before continuing her work. _

"_I mean, it's fine. Not everybody gets along," he continued with a shrug. "But could you at least tell me what I did? You've had a hate on for me since Tom introduced us, and I can't figure out why. If you told me, maybe I could apologize, or make sure it didn't happen again, or… I don't know, but I'd really like it if we could be friends, Bella." _

_She made the mistake of looking at him then, and the puppy dog eyes he turned on her were among the best she'd ever been witness to. Which only irritated her more. _

"_Okay, let me get this straight," she said finally, narrowing her eyes at him as she set down her cleaning supplies. "You want to know why I don't fall to my knees and thank my lucky stars that Edward Cullen deigns to speak to the likes of me? Is that it?"_

"_Hey, no, that's not what I meant," he hurried to interject, but Bella knew better._

"_Look, I'm going to be blunt here," Bella continued, pleased to note that her voice remained strong and steady. "The reason I don't swoon when you smile and flirt with me? It's because I don't buy the shit you're selling. This." She waved her hand in the air, indicating all of him. "Everything about you is an act. The way you look, the way you dress, the way you talk, the way you seem to be able to charm the panties off all the girls. There's nothing genuine or sincere about it – nothing genuine or sincere about __**you**__."_

_Edward opened his mouth, presumably to defend himself, but Bella was on a role and wasn't going to let him get a word in edgewise. _

"_Hell, I don't think you'd know how to drop the act if you wanted to, you've been doing it for so long. And I don't think you'd want to, anyway, because behind the bravado, behind the cool, calm, and collected, behind the charm, you don't have a fucking clue who you really are, do you? You're who everyone wants you to be, who they all expect you to be." She shook her head. "And until I see you drop the bullshit act, I don't really want to waste my time talking to you more than absolutely necessary. We have to work together, but we don't have to like it. And we sure as fuck don't have to be friends." _

_Her hands were shaking slightly, and she wondered if it was because she was so angry, or if it was something else. She didn't feel like analyzing it further, or examining why she was letting Cullen get under her skin like that. She needed to escape._

"_Watch the front. I'll be in the stock room," she informed him as she stalked off, trying very hard not to think about the stunned, and if she wasn't mistaken, slightly wounded look on his face as she'd left him alone._

_They completed the rest of their shift in awkward silence, neither looking the other in the eye. As every minute passed, Bella was feeling worse and worse about the way she'd gone off on Edward. He hadn't really done anything. It wasn't his fault he was… well, the way he was. And he hadn't done anything to her, personally. _

_Well, other than bring up some embarrassingly painful memories she'd just as soon forget._

_After they finished closing, they walked out to the parking lot, still in silence. Gnawing on her lip, Bella glanced sideways at Edward, and noticed that he was watching the ground intently as he headed for his shiny silver Volvo. She'd definitely never seen him look so… un-Edward-like. _

_She considered telling him goodnight, but she couldn't quite force herself to do it. __**She**__ had launched the unprovoked verbal attack on __**him**__, and as far as she could tell, he'd just been trying to figure out a way they could call a truce._

_So, still in silence, they climbed into their respective vehicles. Bella turned the key, expecting to hear the familiar roar of her old clunker of a truck, but instead was greeted by a sickly sputtering sound._

_Fucking. Wonderful._

_She tried again, pumping the gas pedal this time, but nothing changed._

"_Fuck!" She screamed into the darkness of the truck cab. "Just… fuck!"_

_As if her night hadn't been bad enough. _

_With a sigh, she dug her cell phone out of her bag and dialed a familiar number. It rang twice before she heard it pick up._

"_Hey Bells! How's-"_

_She cut him off. "I'm stuck at work. Your dad's stupid truck won't start. Can you come take a look at it?"_

"_Sure thing. I'll be there in twenty, okay?"_

"_Okay." Bella let out a relieved breath. "Thanks, Jake."_

"_Anytime, Bells, you know that. See ya soon."_

_Snapping the phone shut, she held onto it rather than stuffing it back in her bag. Sure, Forks was a small town, but you could never be too careful. Especially when you were a girl sitting alone in a parking lot at night. _

_Looking up suddenly, she screamed when she saw a figure standing outside her window. Edward, the ass, was clearly trying to keep from laughing at her reaction, and she scowled at him as she rolled down the window._

"_Truck won't start?"_

_She bit back the sarcastic retort that naturally came to her, and just shook her head. "No," she sighed, leaning forward and thumping her forehead lightly against the steering wheel. "Stupid rusting piece of shit."_

"_It's nice to know I'm not the only one you talk to like that," he said dryly._

_Bella cringed, and peered at him from behind her curtain of hair. She really felt like shit over that. _

"_God, I'm such a bitch," she groaned softly, closing her eyes and sitting up, letting her head fall back against the headrest. "I was way out of line earlier, Edward." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."_

_From the stunned look on his face when she dared glance at him, you could have knocked him over with a feather. He watched her in silence for a long moment, and she tried not to squirm as his incredibly green eyes roamed her face, no doubt trying to determine the sincerity of her words._

_She couldn't blame him in the least for being skeptical. _

"_Apology accepted," Edward finally assured her, offering a crooked smile. Damn, that thing really should be registered as a dangerous weapon. "And I'm sorry, too, for… well, for all the shit you called me on."_

_Bella had absolutely no clue what to say to that. None at all. So she simply smiled softly and tucked her hair behind her ear._

"_Were you calling your dad to come pick you up?" he wondered, and she was grateful for the subject change._

"_No, the son of the previous owner of this piece of crap," she grumbled. "He works on cars for fun, the sick bastard, so I'm hoping he'll know what's wrong and be able to fix it. Fast."_

_Edward nodded and stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets as he leaned back and perched on the edge of the hood of his car. He wasn't planning on…? Damn, it looked like he was._

"_You don't have to wait. I'll be fine," Bella assured him._

_It was Edward's turn to cock an eyebrow. "I'm sure you would be, but there's no way I'm leaving you here alone." He smirked slightly. "I'd feel guilty as hell if I did, and my dad would kick my ass if he ever found out."_

_For a moment, Bella considered arguing. She didn't need to be coddled, and she sure as hell didn't need to be babysat. But then she nodded and opened the door, sliding out. _

_Edward looked at her curiously, and she motioned to the back of the truck. "It's a nice night for a change. Might as well sit and get comfortable while we wait."_

_Clearly, Edward was smart enough to know what this was. It was a peace offering, and if he rejected it, he wouldn't be getting another one. He seemed to understand this, and made no argument as he followed her._

_They got settled on the bench in the bed of the truck, and Bella took a deep breath. "So, maybe we should try this again." He looked at her, his head cocked slightly to one side. He seemed to grow more confused when she held her hand out to him. "I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you."_

_A slow smile spread across Edward's face, and he enveloped her small hand gently in his. It was warm and soft and strong, and his long fingers curled around hers carefully. "Edward. It's nice to meet you, too." His words and his voice were sincere. No flirting. No attempts at charming her. He was just… being himself. _

_It was nice._

**---**

"Have you thought about trying to get in touch with him?" Alice wondered, cocking her head at Bella.

"Ehn," was the reply, accompanied by a shrug.

There was no way Bella was going to admit she'd actually tracked him down on Facebook sometime last fall, when she'd succumbed to a moment of weakness and searched him out. But she hadn't sent him a friend request, no matter how tempted she'd been. He could find her as easily as she'd found him, so she wasn't willing to look like the pathetic little lovesick high school girl pining after the hot, unattainable college boy.

Even though that was exactly what she'd been. And, in many ways, still was.

But Alice sure as hell didn't need to know that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

For the next two weeks, Edward felt like a creepy stalker. A creepy, pathetically incompetent stalker, to be precise.

He looked for Bella everywhere he went, scanning every crowd, every classroom and lecture hall he passed. He loitered around the entrance of the building where he'd had his literal run-in with the girl he was increasingly convinced had been Bella. Every day that she failed to show, he went back to his apartment, dejected.

It had been exactly 16 days since that fateful day, and he was starting to think he should just give up – though he wasn't _quite_ ready to concede defeat.

Deciding to get himself a coffee as he considered his oh-so-limited options, Edward stepped inside one of the several coffee shops on campus, and joined the end of the line. There were only a few people ahead of him, and he was scanning the coffee options, lost in thought as he tried to figure out what he was in the mood for, when a piercing squeal made him jump.

"Oh my god," the girl continued, and Edward's head swiveled towards the speaker. His eyes fell on a familiar face – though not quite the one he'd been hoping to see. "Edward!"

"Alice," he greeted with a wide smile. He'd become very fond of the pixie girl while he'd worked at Java Jive; she always stopped by when Bella was working, so he'd had the chance to get to know her fairly well. He was never as close to her as he was to Bella, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he'd always thought of her as a friend.

He gave her a quick, warm hug, which she returned eagerly. They separated and she beamed up at him as he continued smiling down at her. "It's been a while, huh? How've you been?"

"I've been awesome," Alice enthused. And somehow, coming from her, it sounded neither fake nor obnoxious. It was just… Alice. "I had no idea you were going here. Bella told me you'd gone out East somewhere… Chicago, wasn't it? Oh, or maybe Boston… well, that's not important, anyway, because now you're here! Oh my god, Bella's going to _freak_! We were just talking about you the other day. What a weird coincidence, right?"

Alice earned his absolutely undivided attention when she said the "B" word, and he was barely able to keep from grabbing her shoulders and shaking more information out of her. He tried to act nonchalant when he asked, "Bella, huh? You guys still hang out?"

Laughing, Alice smiled even wider. "Of course, silly. She's my BFF." Her smile turned just a little bit impish. "And I made her room with me this year so I could play dress-up with her and help her land herself a hot college guy."

"Huh," he mused, trying his damndest to ignore the way his chest tightened at the thought of Bella being with some 'hot college guy'. "Small world."

"Very," Alice agreed happily. "Oh! I'm dragging Bella out with a couple of other friends tonight. We're going to that new club that opened just off campus. Y'know, the one that's plastered flyers up everywhere?" Edward nodded, knowing exactly the one. "You should totally come and surprise her!"

Not wanting to appear too eager, though inside he was practically giddy, Edward hedged slightly. "I don't know, Alice. I mean, it'd be great to see Bella, but I wouldn't want to intrude, or anything. Are you sure it would be okay?"

"Duh," came the laughing reply as she dug through her bag for something. "We're going to be there by 10:00." Emerging victorious from her satchel search, she handed Edward her little pink cell phone. "Here, give me your number so I can call you if there's a change of plans or anything."

Edward pulled out his own phone and traded with her, entering his number as she did the same for him. With their plans finalized, Alice skipped off with a cheery wave and a promise to see him later.

Seven hours. In a little over seven hours, he would see Bella again. Somehow, Edward was pretty sure these just might be longest seven hours of his life.

**---**

_Flashback _

_After several months on the job, and most of his shifts worked with Bella, Edward had grown unexpectedly comfortable in her presence. It seemed that when she'd ripped him a new one about being fake and putting on a show for everyone, his subconscious had actually __**listened**__. He'd found himself paying closer attention to his actions, and he wasn't entirely sure he liked what he saw. And while changing who he was at school was too scary for him to consciously consider, he decided to try really being himself when he was working. _

_Java Jive was his respite from the performance he was expected to deliver on a daily basis. What he didn't realize was that this change was slowly seeping into who he was at school, too._

_Bella had apparently noted the effort he was putting forth, and rewarded him with her friendship. It turned out that she wasn't quite who he'd originally thought she was. Rather than simply being a snarky, bitchy little tough girl, he discovered that Bella was surprisingly multi-faceted. Yes, she was snarky and had a temper, but besides that was a sensitive girl who loved to cook, spent a ridiculous amount of time reading, and didn't go anywhere without her iPod. She was incredibly smart, witty, and her clever sarcasm had bite. But she was also shy, almost painfully so at times, and hated nothing more than public speaking or giving presentations. Bella also loathed being the center of attention, which was unfortunate, because she was… gravity-challenged, and often drew unwanted attention as a result._

_One of his most pleasant discoveries about Bella was that she was a fantastic listener. She seemed to know instinctively when he needed her to empathize, when she needed to offer advice and suggestions, and when he needed to be smacked upside the head. _

_When things were slow and they had little work to do around the shop, they'd sit and chat about a little bit of everything. Bella was never one to volunteering much about herself unless he asked specific questions, so he made sure to do just that, every chance her got. As a result, he'd learned about her parents' divorce, what it had been like growing up in Arizona, and how difficult the transition had been when she'd moved to Forks. _

_He, in turn, was able to tell her things he'd never dare tell anyone else, for fear of being ridiculed. _

_Edward talked about how he'd never really __**loved**__ football, but had played because he was good at it. He told her that he was adopted, that he was worried he'd somehow disappoint his parents, and his main goal in life was to ensure they were always proud of him. He confessed he didn't know who his real friends were, and who just hung out with him because of what the association could do for their status among their peers. He showed her a picture of Tanya, his girlfriend, and admitted that he liked her a lot, but didn't know if he loved her, and didn't want to hurt her if it turned out she cared more than he did. _

_It had also been Bella who had listened to him when he and Tanya had broken up just a few short weeks later, because, as Edward glumly told her, "She says I'm different, that I'm changing. She says she doesn't know who I am anymore, and isn't sure she likes what she does know."_

_And then Bella had truly shocked the hell out of him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and giving him a reassuring hug._

_It wasn't lost on him that it was the first time she'd initiated physical contact between them. Sure, he was a fairly touchy person by nature, and often touched her arm or shoulder as they talked, or gave her hair a gently teasing tug when it was tied up in a ponytail. But Bella wasn't one for the casual contact, so the gesture meant that much more to him._

"_Then she's not only stupid, but also a bitch, and you're better off without her," Bella told him gently but firmly. "And it should tell you something about why she was with you in the first place. Because since pulling your head out of your ass, you've actually turned into a pretty good guy, Cullen. If she can't see that? It's her loss."_

_Edward sighed and nodded, knowing she was probably right. He rested his head on her shoulder, hoping to encourage her to keep her arm around him a little while longer. They sat in companionable silence for a few long minutes, listening to soft jazz music pouring through the sound system. _

_Why couldn't it be this easy to just __**be**__ with everyone, he wondered._

"_I can play this," he noted absently, not lifting his head. He felt Bella shift slightly, and he tipped his head back to find her looking down at him, confusion clear in her dark eyes._

"_Huh?"_

"_This," he repeated, and pointed upward to indicate the music. "I can play it."_

"_I didn't know you were musical. What do you play?"_

"_Guitar, violin, and piano," Edward replied, a smile tugging at his lips. "Piano's my favorite."_

"_Huh. Whodathunk?" Bella sounded pleased by this new bit of information. She poked his shoulder lightly, teasingly. "You really are a man of many talents, aren't you?"_

_That earned a genuine smile, and he slipped his arm around her waist to give her a little squeeze. But he couldn't quite resist the opportunity to indulge in a little of the play-flirting that had, surprisingly enough, become so much a part of his interaction with her. "Say the word, Bella, and you can find out first-hand," he said, pretending to leer at her, his eyebrows waggling. "You. Me. Quickie in the back room."_

_Bella hid her chuckle of amusement by scowling, and she smacked his chest. "Ass."_

_Edward laughed and squeezed her again. "Most people don't know I play," he admitted. It wasn't a part of himself that he shared freely. He was a brainy jock, which was a rare enough combination. If musically gifted was thrown into the mix, people probably wouldn't know what to think of him._

_Bella was quiet for a moment, and she eventually withdrew her arm from his shoulders. He missed the contact, her warmth, immediately. It looked as if she were struggling with something to say, and Edward waited patiently, watching her expression as she sorted through her thoughts._

"_Thank you," she said finally, meeting his gaze, "for telling me that."_

_Her cheeks flushed adorably as she stood, and she hurried into the back room, muttering something about needing to order milk. Edward watched her go, trying and failing to figure out what was going on in that head of her. He was starting to suspect he'd never fully figure her out._

_He also wondered just how and when Bella Swan had become the person he felt most comfortable confiding in. _

**---**

As Edward paced his room, checking and double-checking his reflection in the mirror, he considered changing shirts – again. He kept second guessing himself, wondering if he looked okay. No, he didn't want to look okay, he wanted to look amazing. No, he wanted _Bella_ to think he looked amazing.

Sighing, he forced himself to not run his hand through his hair. It had taken him hours, literally, to tame it, and he knew it could be undone in seconds. His self control was waning, and quickly.

He wasn't going into battle alone tonight, though. As soon as he'd left the coffee shop, he'd called his two best buddies, a pair of roommates who lived down the hall from his bachelor apartment, and informed them of the plans. Fortunately, they'd been all over the idea. They were great wingmen, which he'd need in case things didn't go well with Bella.

At 9:43, Edward received a text from Alice telling him they'd just arrived at the club. So he grabbed his wallet and keys, took a final look at his reflection, and left his apartment. Five minutes later, he was riding shotgun in Jasper's SUV, Emmett's large frame sprawled out in the back seat.

"So this is the one that got away, huh?" Emmett asked with a grin, lightly punching the back of Edward's headrest.

It was difficult to explain to others about his relationship with Bella. Because yes, he regretted not asking her out, not letting her know how he'd felt. But he'd had no real reason to think any of it would've been welcome. So, rather than mess things up, he'd just let them be.

One of the biggest regrets of his life.

So, not quite sure how to respond to that, he simply said, "In a way."

"How long's it been?"

"A year," came Edward's distracted reply. His knee was bouncing nervously, and before he realized what he was doing, his hand raked through his hair. "Goddammit!"

Jasper's gentle chuckle diffused Edward's annoyance. "Women dig your sex hair, Edward, you know that. I'm sure this girl of yours is no different. Leave it be."

But that was where Jasper had it wrong. Bella _was_ different, and that was why Edward was more nervous than he'd ever been in his life. By the time they were inside the club, his hair was back to its normal a wild mess; apparently it was impossible for him to not touch it for more than two minutes at a time when he was anxious, so he'd given up.

"See her?" Jasper asked, shouting to be heard over the music.

Edward shook his head as he scanned the crowd, only half noting that Emmett had already wrapped his arms around a blond… oh, right. He'd started dating someone, a statuesque blond named… Rose? Yeah, that sounded about right.

Leaving Emmett to his girlfriend, Edward was on his second pass of the dance floor when he spotted Alice. And even though he'd known she was going to be there, he stopped breathing when he saw who the pixie was grinding against.

During their two years of friendship, he'd never had the opportunity to see Bella dressed up. Work attire had always been casual, and she'd always had an eclectic yet relatively carefree style, varying her choices based on her moods – a vintage rock T one day, a gauzy peasant shirt the next, and an oversized hoodie the next. He'd never seen her dressed in anything remotely like she was now. Low-rise jeans hugged her ass perfectly. A dark (purple maybe? It was hard to see in the club's lighting…) flowy halter top left her back bare from shoulders to waist. Her hair was still long, though slightly shorter than he remembered, and it was tumbling down her back in a mass of soft waves, making his fingers twitch. Edward didn't know what he yearned to touch more – her hair or her skin.

He couldn't fathom how he'd ever thought she was anything other than beautiful. He'd been such a fool.

"Target acquired?"

Edward didn't even look at Jasper, simply nodding while not taking his eyes off Bella. His friend laughed softly and clapped him on the shoulder.

"What're you waiting for? Go get her, man."

As the song changed, Alice spotted them. She waved him over with a grin, and ensured that Bella's back was towards him so she wouldn't see him before he reached her.

Slipping up behind her, he placed his hands on Bella's hips and moved with her to the music. He couldn't keep the shit-eating grin from spreading across his face as Alice smiled and smoothly extricated herself from her friend's hold. She danced past them, snagging, of all people, Jasper, and not giving him any option other than to join her.

But Edward really couldn't care less about them. All his attention was on the woman before him, the way her body moved under his hands, how soft her skin was as he stroked his thumbs over a bare strip above her jeans. She was a surprisingly good dancer, especially for someone who'd always been a little less coordinated that most, and he couldn't help but move closer to her – enough so that he could feel her against him, but not_ too_ close. If her ass pushed against his groin, he knew he couldn't be held responsible for his actions.

Bella's eyes were closed as she moved sensually with him, and she leaned her head back against his shoulder, resting it there lightly, as her hands ran up the outside of his jeans-clad thighs. Edward slid one hand around her waist, across her flat stomach, and hooked his thumb in one of her belt loops. Now that he had her, she wasn't going anywhere.

Too soon, the music changed again, and Bella began to pull away. "Thanks for the dance," she tossed over her shoulder, not even completely turning around before trying to make her escape. Edward tightened his hold on her and pulled her back against his chest. He felt her stiffen slightly in his arms, and he chuckled as he leaned in close, inhaling the scent of her shampoo or perfume or body lotion, or maybe a combination thereof. Whatever if was, it was intoxicating.

By now, Bella was trying to force her way out of his arms. Her voice was little more than a growl when spat out, "Look, asshole –"

Edward was still chuckling, and his voice was husky when he spoke, his lips just brushing the shell of her ear. "Good to see you, too, Bella."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Alice had suggested going out dancing, Bella hadn't really had the strength to argue. For one, she'd learned a long, long time ago that trying to talk Alice out of anything was pointless. For another, the idea of getting out for a night of mindless fun was actually semi-appealing. Even if dancing wasn't her favorite activity in the world.

Bella hadn't ended up dropping her poetry class after all, but she skipped the class the week following the incident about which she would not speak. And this past week, class had been cancelled, so she'd lucked out and would be going back after a nice break. She might not die of mortification when she walked into the classroom next week. The rest of her classes were going well, she was all caught up on readings and assignments, and she had Fridays free, so she saw no problem with taking a night off to go out and have some fun.

The club still had that new feel to it. It still _smelled_ clean, which was the strangest thing to Bella. Everything, from the bars to the dance floors to the booths, were unstained and beginning to show only the slightest bit of wear.

They'd met up with some other friends of Alice's, mostly girls Bella knew in passing from other outings, but didn't know well. One exception was a tall, gorgeous, bitchy blond named Rosalie, whom Bella had been prepared to hate on sight. Instead, she'd found an unexpected and expert ally in the art of sarcasm, and was quickly beginning to consider Rose a friend.

Alice had dragged Bella out onto the dance floor as soon as they'd arrived, and hadn't let her take a break since. The lights that strobed throughout the building pulsed in time with the throbbing bass of the music, creating a fantasy world of light and sound. The girls were dancing close, brushing and pressing lightly against each other in that innocent-yet-enticing way that seemed to draw a lot of male attention.

Silly boys and their silly girl-on-girl fantasies.

Mid-dance, a pair of large, warm, and decidedly male hands settled on her hips, but Bella paid them no mind, simply continuing to move with the music. Her new partner kept up perfectly, and Alice grinned wickedly before twirling past her. Ah, so he must be hot, Bella reasoned, and the evil pixie was trying to give them some privacy.

Well, it wouldn't be the first time Alice had pulled a stunt like that, nor would it probably be the last. Bella would treat it exactly the same as any other time – play along for a bit, enjoy herself, and then bail.

Bella let her eyes drift shut, and she tried not to shudder as the mystery man's thumbs stroked the skin left bare between her shirt and her jeans. He slid in closer, but not offensively so. He seemed to understand she wasn't looking to be, for all extents and purposes, fucked on the dance floor, so while he pressed against her, he didn't _press against her_.

The music was pulsing through her, and she leaned her head back against the shoulder of her mystery partner, resting it there lightly. He was tall, and she barely reached – her head was more on his chest than his shoulders, but it was all good. Without really realizing what she was doing, her hands trailed up the outside of his jeans-clad thighs. His lean muscles flexed beneath her fingers, and she left her hands there, resting with her fingers lightly curling just above his knees. One of his hands moved from her hip to slide sensually across her stomach, and she felt his thumb anchor itself in one of her front belt loops.

Hmmm. Nice, but distinctly possessive. She wasn't sure she approved of that. In fact, she knew she didn't, so she was going to have to excuse herself sooner than she'd planned. Fortunately, the music changed, and Bella took it as her cue.

"Thanks for the dance," she tossed over her shoulder, not even completely turning around before trying to extricate from her partner's arms. But instead of releasing her, his hold tightened and he pulled her back against his chest. Instantly, she stiffened, prepared to put up a fight if he didn't get the hint, and in a hurry.

But apparently he had no intention of letting her go, and he curled his body around hers even more as he leaned down and seemed to bury his face in her hair. She could feel the vibrations of his laugh through his chest.

Okay, enough was enough. She was getting very uncomfortable, and more than a little bit of fear was starting to squeeze her chest.

Bella gripped his forearms and twisted in his grip, trying to push away and make him break his hold. If only she'd opted to wear the high-heeled boots Alice had been pushing on her instead of the ballet flats she'd stubbornly insisted on, she could have put those self-defense classes to use (the ones Charlie had insisted she take before he'd allow her to go off and live in the big, bad, scary city) and speared his foot. That might've gotten the message through. Honestly, she was getting scared, but she was also getting angry. Who the hell did this fucker think he was?

"Look, asshole –"

He was still chuckling, and his voice was husky when he spoke, his lips just brushing the shell of her ear. "Good to see you, too, Bella."

All efforts to free herself ceased instantly, and she froze in his arms.

Ho. Lee. Shit.

She knew that voice. _God_, but she knew that voice. Over the past few years, it and its owner had starred in more dreams than she cared to admit.

His hold loosened slightly, just enough for her to turn in his arms and look up at him. And when she did, she forgot to breathe.

He hadn't changed much in the year since she'd last seen him. Still the same untamable hair that seemed to scream out to be touched. Still the same crooked smile that made her – and every other female in the world, she was sure – weak in the knees. Still the same gentle green eyes that made her squirm under their scrutiny, sure that all her secrets were laid bare for him to see.

Edward fucking Cullen.

In Seattle.

Right _there_, with his arms wrapped around her, holding her close. And he was looking at her and smiling like she was the only person in the room filled to bursting with writhing, beautiful people.

"Bella?" Edward's smile was faltering, his expression turning wary. She realized then that she hadn't yet said anything, or even reacted in any way other than to just look at him. He was probably wondering if she'd suffered brain damage since the last time they'd spoken, she figured.

Shaking her head slightly to clear it, Bella let out a breath in a soft, incredulous laugh, and she smiled. Edward relaxed instantly, his smile returning full-force, and, like so many times before, she was dazzled by it.

Bastard.

Edward chuckled and pulled her into a tight hug, and her arms automatically went around his waist, hugging him back fiercely. He felt and smelled incredible, and Bella let her eyes drift shut, just enjoying the embrace. One hand was splayed across her back, the other cupping the back of her head, holding her to him in a way that made her feel cherished.

"Missed you," he said softly, his face buried in her hair. And, much to her annoyance, she felt tears prickling her eyes at his words.

"Missed you, too," Bella murmured back, not lifting her head from his chest. And god, she had. So much.

Which reminded her…

Pulling back suddenly, she scowled up at him as her defenses slammed back into place, and smacked his arm. Hard. "What the fuck, Cullen? Would it have killed you to get my email address before you ran off to the Windy City? Or my cell number? Or _anything_?"

"Ow," he said with a laugh, releasing her so that he could rub the spot where she'd hit him. His laughter didn't last, though, and he gave her a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't think…" He trailed off with a sigh, and shook his head. "I just didn't think."

Bella rolled her eyes to hide the hurt she was sure would be evident on her face. "I guess that shouldn't surprise me," she drawled.

With a laugh, Edward pulled her into another hug, and she didn't fight him. "Forgive me?" The request was whispered into her ear, just loud enough to be heard over the pounding music.

Her heart raced wildly, as it always had whenever they were so close, and she was unable to deny him anything. "Fine," she ground out, trying not to laugh as she smacked his back. She hoped he knew it wasn't over – they'd talk about it eventually, even if she was giving him a reprieve for the time being. "Now let me go."

"Nope," he quipped. She almost thought she heard him whisper something along the lines of 'never again', but she figured she had to be mistaken.

"Ass."

Edward laughed and finally released his hold on her, though he honestly did seem reluctant to let her go. She took a step backwards, and looked past him to see Alice watching them, bouncing on the balls of her feet while grinning and clapping. Next to her was a tall, handsome blond man, an amused expression on his face. Squealing happily, Alice bounded towards them, hugging first Edward (who lifted her up and spun her around once before setting her back on her feet), then Bella.

"Are you surprised?" Alice asked, not even giving Bella a chance to answer before continuing, "I knew you'd be surprised! Isn't it great? Edward's at U Dub now, so it can be just like old times – only better!"

Searching for confirmation, she cast a sideways glance at Edward, relieved when he smiled broadly and nodded.

Wait a minute…

Turning back to Alice, Bella's eyes narrowed. "You planned this?"

Alice waved off the accusation. "Relax, I didn't know he was here until this afternoon." Well, that made Bella feel a little bit less plotted against. But only a little. "And this is Jasper," Alice continued, taking the hand of the blond man behind her and pulling him forward. Her grey eyes sparkled in a way Bella wasn't quite sure she'd ever seen before. She made a mental note to ask Alice about it later. "He's a friend of Edward's."

Bella's smile was only slightly forced as she greeted the other man with a nod. Further conversation proved impossible as the music changed again, and somehow managed to get even louder. So, at Alice's urging, the four of them left the edge of the dance floor and found an empty booth in a quieter part of the club. Edward stayed just slightly behind her as they walked, his hand on the only partially covered skin of her lower back to guide her through the crowd. She shivered at his touch, and hoped he wouldn't notice.

Alice and Bella sat in the middle of the half-moon-shaped booth, the boys sliding in on either side. Edward sat close, and when she looked up at him, Bella was taken aback by what she thought she saw in his eyes. As his gaze roved over her face, it was as if he were trying to memorize her. A blush quickly bloomed and Bella looked away quickly, hoping the dim light of the club would help hide her traitorous response. But apparently not, and she was startled when Edward gently brushed the back of his finger down her burning cheek. Biting her lower lip, she looked up at him shyly. He simply smiled, not taking his eyes off her. "Still the same Bella," he observed, his tone undeniable fond.

That was enough to pull her out of her daze, and she playfully swatted his had away. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, we all know I'm a freak. Old news. Can we change the subject, please, to something a little more relevant? Like, how 'bout maybe you tell me what you're doing here?"

That smooth as velvet laugh enveloped her again, and she watched as he ran his fingers through his unruly hair. "Um, well, long story short, pre-med just wasn't for me," he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ha! I told you!" Bella was grinning and pointing at him victoriously. "I told you your heart wasn't into the whole doctor thing. But would you listen to me? Noooooo, of course not."

"Okay, okay, you were right," he grinned, and then his eyes softened again. "It shouldn't surprise me. You always did seem to know me better than I knew myself."

His eyes held hers again, and the air between them seemed to thicken and spark. Bella sat perfectly still, not even breathing, frozen under his piercing gaze. It seemed like he was trying to communicate something to her, or searching for something, and she felt ridiculously vulnerable at that moment. Heat was quickly creeping up her neck to her cheeks. Again.

Forcing herself to break eye contact, Bella glanced over at Alice and Jasper, only to find them engrossed in their own conversation. Damn, no help to be had there.

"So why U Dub?" Bella asked Edward, trying to bring things back to lighter topics.

Shrugging, he gave her his crooked smile. "It's closer to home, and has a great music program."

"You're studying music?" Bella was surprised, but she really shouldn't have been.

"Double major in music education and composition," he confirmed, and there was a pride in his smile, a contentment which had never been there when he'd talked about studying medicine.

"That's so cool," she told him, smiling widely at him. "You love music so much, it seems like a natural for you."

It just made sense to Bella. Music was the one thing he'd ever talked about with honest-to-god passion. That he was pursuing it for a career? She could only imagine how good that would make him feel.

"So you think you want to teach eventually?" Bella wondered.

Edward nodded, folding his arms on the table and leaning forward. "Yeah, I think so. High school or college, probably. But the thought of teaching little kids, getting them when they're really young and instilling in them an honest to god love of music sounds pretty cool, too."

"You'll be great at it," she assured him. God knows he'd managed to somehow teach the most musically retarded girl on the planet how to play, so anything after that should be a cakewalk.

---

_Flashback_

"_Hey, you in a hurry to get home tonight?"_

_Bella glanced at Edward, one of her eyebrows arched in question. "No more so than usual," she replied warily. "Why?" The grin on his face made her instantly on guard. "Cullen…"_

"_Swan…" he mimicked back, still smiling like he was up to something. "Why so suspicious, Bella? Don't you trust me?"_

"_No," she replied, which was a lie and they both knew it. Over the eight months they'd worked together and become friends, Bella had trusted Edward with probably more than she should have, if truth be told. Somehow, he got her talking about things that even Alice didn't always know._

_Edward laughed and gave her ponytail a gentle tug. "Just meet me in the back room when you're done cashing out." _

"_No quickies," she informed him sternly as he walked off, fighting a smirk._

_He laughed at her over his shoulder. "I wasn't asking. But now that you mention it, we're closed, so it wouldn't have to be a quickie. We could take our time…" _

_Bella pitched a dishcloth at his head, and, unsurprisingly, it missed by a mile, though he made a show of ducking anyway. And with that, he disappeared into the back._

_Five minutes later, she'd finished up out front, locked the register drawer inside the safe, and turned out the lights. Bella took a deep breath and cautiously opened the door and stepped into the back room. She didn't see him anywhere._

"_Edward?"_

"_Over here," his voice called from the back corner._

_She was more confused than ever, but headed towards his voice. When she found him, he was sitting on top of an upside-down milk crate, another one set up next to him, and he had an acoustic guitar on his lap. Bella's eyebrows practically disappeared into her hairline._

"_What –"_

"_Sit," he instructed, patting the empty milk crate next to him. _

"_Why?"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Cullen –"_

"_Swan," Edward countered, shaking his head at her. He tried very hard to look annoyed, but his amusement was evident in his voice. "Do you always have to be so fucking difficult? Just come over here and sit the hell down, okay?"_

_Biting her bottom lip, Bella crossed to him and lowered herself onto the milk crate. Edward was strumming the guitar softly, and Bella cocked her head, watching his fingers as they plucked gently at the strings, and danced across the frets. He continued playing for a few minutes, then stopped and smiled at her._

"_That was beautiful," she told him honestly. "But… did you just want to play?"_

_He laughed and held the guitar out to her. "No. I want __**you**__ to play."_

_Bella looked at him like he was on cheap drugs, making no attempt to take the instrument from him. "I can't play, I told you that."_

"_No, you told me you'd always wanted to be __**able**__ to play," he corrected her, like it was an important distinction. "So, I'm going to teach you."_

"_No you're not," she snorted with a shake of her head._

"_Yes, I am," Edward insisted. "So shut up, take the guitar, and let's get started."_

_So for the better part of an hour, he patiently taught Bella the basics. By the end of the lesson, she couldn't feel her fingertips, but she was grinning like an idiot. _

"_You're an awesome teacher," she told him as she handed the guitar back to him. "Thanks, Edward, that was really fun."_

"_Glad you enjoyed it," he smiled back. "I was thinking we could do this once a wee or so. Sound good?"_

_Bella blinked in surprise. "You… you want to do this again?"_

_Edward laughed. "Well, yeah, of course. What, you thought I was just going to give you one lesson? What would be the point of that?"_

_Handing him back the guitar, she shook her head. "I appreciate it, I really do, but there __**is **__no point. I won't be able to practice, so I'll just forget everything between lessons, and –"_

"_Bella, stop," he ordered, still chuckling at her. "You're taking the guitar home so you can practice."_

"_Edward –"_

"_Fight me all you want, Swan, but you won't win." With a smug smile, he took the guitar and put it in its case. "You're taking it, and that's final. Bring it with you every time we work together, and we'll have another lesson."_

_Gnawing on her lower lip again, Bella hesitated as he held the case out to her. She really, really wanted to. She'd wanted to learn how to play the guitar for as long as she could remember, and now she had a chance. She'd be stupid to turn him down._

"_Fine," she huffed, snatching the case from Edward's hand. Then added quietly, "Thank you."_

_He grinned triumphantly and wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulders, ignoring the annoyed look she leveled at him. "You're welcome. And you'll love it, I promise."_

_The annoying thing was, she knew he was right. But she'd be damned if she would tell him that. _

--

They caught up on the better part of the past year, smiling and laughing and teasing each other as if no time had passed. It was an amazing feeling, Bella mused. Finally, Alice and Jasper realized they weren't the only two people in the booth, and joined in the conversation.

The chemistry between Jasper and Alice was so strong it was almost its own person sitting in the booth with them. At one point, when they weren't paying attention to anyone but each other, Edward and Bella exchanged a knowing smirk, silently agreeing to get the details out of their respective friend. Fortunately for Jasper, he would be spared the third degree because Bella found herself liking him very much. He was soft-spoken and sweet, and his Texan accent made everything he said sound charming. A Civil War buff, he majoring in American History, even though he wasn't entirely sure what he planned on doing after he earned his degree.

The conversation was varied and interesting, ranging from favorite bands to movies, and finally to TV shows, which brought about the most heated debate yet: the superiority of Battlestar Galactica over Star Trek.

"Alice, you're so wrong it's not even funny," Edward informed her across the table, shaking his head and laughing. "Picard isn't half the captain Adama is. All he does is walk around asking for advice from his entire fucking crew – he can't make a decision to save his life!"

"Frakking, Edward, frakking. Not fucking," Bella corrected, patting his arm condescendingly. "You gotta talk the talk if you're gonna walk the walk."

"Listen, darlin'," Jasper interjected, trying to appeal to Alice's common sense, and Bella smirked. If only he knew how pointless it was arguing with Alice when she got her mind set on something! "Adama's a brilliant leader and strategist. And look at what he had to overcome, compared to Picard. Most of the human race was exterminated, and it was up to him to take care of the few survivors and to find them a new home – all while being hunted down by the Cylons, who wanted to see all of humanity become extinct. Talk about pressure. What did Picard have to worry about? Whether it this or that was in accordance with that pansy-ass Prime Directive."

"And do we even want to get started on androids versus the Cylons?" Bella asked the boys.

"Right!" Edward agreed enthusiastically. "No comparison at all. Hmmm, Data or Caprica Six? Or Boomer? Or D'Anna? Or –"

"Or Sam," Bella interrupted with a dreamy look on her face.

"Or Sam," Edward continued on with a nod, then realized what he said. "Wait, no, not Sam. Not what I meant."

"Too late, what's said is said," Bella laughed, and Jasper joined in, shaking his head at his friend.

Alice folded her arms over his chest and shook her head stubbornly. "I don't care what you say. Star Trek wins because _Picard_ is the sex. He's got that incredible voice, the dreamy accent… he's handsome, a gentleman, he's smart and passionate –"

"Wait," Bella interjected, tone and expression carefully innocent. She'd totally pay for this later, but it would be worth it for the reaction. "Are you talking about Picard or Jasper?"

Edward snorted and cast Bella a smirk, meeting her hand for an under-the-table high-five. Jasper chuckled and shook his head, seemingly embarrassed, but he was also smiling rather shyly at Alice. Alice, whose cheeks had turned bright red, and who was gaping at Bella in silence. Not something Bella could remember experiencing before, and she knew she was in trouble. Big trouble. It would be a long trip back to the dorm.

Fortunately, she was granted a reprieve because right then they were joined Rosalie and a big, dark-haired guy.

"There you bitches are," Rose huffed at the girls. She seemed only momentarily surprised by the company they were keeping. "Jazz, Edward." Bella blinked and cocked her head slightly, regarding Rosalie curiously. How did she know the guys?

"Dude," the big guy grinned at Edward. "Is this her?"

Bella arched an eyebrow and peered up at Edward. It was a look that very clearly communicated "WTF?" Not that he'd notice, because he was busy giving the other guy the stink eye.

"Emmett," Edward fairly growled, which only caused the big guy to laugh and focus on her.

"Bella, right? I'm Emmett, the object of Edward's unrequited man-crush, Jasper's roommate, and Rosie's boy-toy. Good to meet you," he grinned. "I'd hug you, but I'd have to get past Eddie-boy here, and I think he'd try to rip my arms off if I did."

It was impossible not to laugh, even though her face was heating up rather quickly. "Hey," Bella greeted, willing her cheeks to stop burning.

"Anyway, chicas, the point is, I've been looking for you for the past half hour. I've got a quiz tomorrow, so I need to head out to get some last-minute cramming in," Rose told them. Without missing a beat, she held up her hand to stop Emmett, who had a leering smirk on his face, from speaking. "Shut it. You've got a one-track mind." Ignoring Emmett's pout, she turned her attention back to the girls at the table. "You two coming for the walk back to campus, or are you gonna hang out for a while longer?"

Bella glanced at Alice, who had apparently recovered from her embarrassment and now wore a rather hangdog expression on her adorable face. That was all the answer she needed. "No, we've gotta get going, too. Alice has an 8:00 class, and it's hard enough for her to make it on the best of days."

But god, she didn't want to go. Edward Cullen had just come waltzing back into her life, and she wasn't prepared to watch him walk away again. Not yet.

Fortunately, it seemed she wasn't the only one feeling that way. A glance up at Edward showed he seemed as reluctant as she was to end the evening.

"What's your schedule like tomorrow?" he asked, leaning in so only she could hear him.

"Class-free," she replied, trying not to shiver at his proximity.

"I'm done by noon. Want to get together, maybe grab a bite to eat and spend the rest of the day hanging out?"

Inside, Bella was jumping up and down and screaming yes, but on the outside, she managed to remain relatively calm. "Sounds good," she replied, just barely managing to keep her smile from entering mega-watt territory. And Edward looked so relieved that she wondered if he'd really, honestly expected her to say 'no'.

As fucking if.

* * *

_**Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to leave a review. I'd love a few more... **puppy dog eyes****_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Was it wrong for a 20-year-old man to feel like he was walking on air after spending only a few hours with the girl he'd been thinking about almost constantly for the past year? Edward didn't know, nor did he care. He was just enjoying it.

When the guys had gotten home from the club the night before, Edward had been far too wound up to sleep. So he'd sat up with Emmett and Jasper for another few hours, nursing beers none of them were old enough to buy, and just shooting the shit.

And shooting the shit, of course, meant they'd been talking about the girls.

It seemed Edward wasn't the only enamored fool in the group, so he and Emmett tormented poor Jasper relentlessly. He also regaled them both with everything he knew about Alice Brandon, which, admittedly, wasn't a whole hell of a lot, but included a few funny stories (most of which also, coincidentally enough, involved Bella). It was something, at least, and Jasper had still been grinning stupidly when Edward retired to his own apartment.

His morning classes? A total write-off. Edward had suddenly developed ADD, apparently, and couldn't concentrate on anything at all besides counting down to when he was supposed to be meeting Bella. When his last class of the day was dismissed, he bolted for the door, barely avoiding running over more than a couple of his classmates. He flashed them an apologetic, distracted smile, and continued on his way to meet up with Bella.

Bella. God. She'd been everything he remembered and more. He'd almost had himself convinced that he'd built her up in his mind beyond the reality, and was convinced he'd be disappointed when they were finally face to face again.

Nothing could be further from the truth. She was even more beautiful (to him, anyway – he was objective enough to realize she wasn't everyone's ideal), fun, witty, and funnier than he could have conjured in his mind.

And just as frustrating, because he didn't have any better idea of how she felt about him now than he had a year ago. Which wasn't helping him come up with a game plan. For all he knew, Bella just wanted her buddy back.

Well, he didn't want to just be her friend this time.

Edward hurried across campus to the spot he'd agreed to meet Bella, trying not to look like as much of an eager dork as he felt. He didn't see her at first, and felt his brow furrowing as he glanced at his watch. He was only a couple of minutes early...

But then his gaze fell on a figure lounging on the grass, basking in the rare show of late September sun, and he smiled. A pair of dark sunglasses concealed her eyes, so he had no clue if she was aware of his approach or not. Judging by the fact that she hadn't so much as twitched since he'd first seen her, he figured she was oblivious. Which gave him yet another opportunity to observe her.

She was lying on her back, slender, jeans-clad legs stretched out in front of her and crossed at the ankles. Hands clasped over her stomach, she appeared so relaxed she could even be asleep. Even though it wasn't _that_ warm, she was wearing a fitted T-shirt with sleeves that just barely came down over the curve of her delicate shoulders. As an Arizona transplant, he knew she grasped any and every opportunity to worship the sun when it made an appearance in rainy Washington. Apparently, though, she wasn't completely delusional about the warmth, because there was a sweatshirt, probably a hoodie, bunched up under her messy mass of hair as a pillow. Unsurprisingly, the telltale white cords of her earbuds were present, connecting to the iPod in the purse-slash-bag-like-thing resting by Bella's side.

Smiling to himself, he crossed the lawn and stopped at her head. Leaning over, he could see enough through her sunglasses to know that her eyes were still closed, and he grinned down at her.

"You're blocking my sun." Without sitting up, Bella pulled her sunglasses down her nose slightly and peered over the tops of them at him, her dark eyes smiling. "Pull up some sod and join me, Casper," she teased, plucking the tiny speakers from her ears. "You're paler than ever."

Flopping down next to her, he arched an eyebrow at her. "Pot. Kettle," he drawled with a smirk, reaching out and running the tip of his finger down her pale arm. He noticed her skin pimpled slightly with goosebumps, but whether that was because of the cool-ish air or his touch, he had no clue. He liked to think it was a reaction to him, obviously, but he had no reason to think it was… except her cheeks pinked slightly. Was that from the sun, and he just hadn't noticed before now, or…? Right. Moving on. "How'd you know it was me?"

Bella sat up suddenly and shook out her hair. A few errant leaves and blades of grass clung to it stubbornly, and it was all Edward could do not to reach out and help pick them out. "I didn't," she admitted with a shrug. "I just figured it was a safe guess."

He chuckled and nodded. "Did Alice give you shit last night for the Jasper thing?"

"God yes," Bella laughed, and Edward wrapped himself in the almost-forgotten sound. He hadn't been able to hear it clearly enough in the club the night before, so now he was like a starving man presented with a feast. "I'm going to have bruises, I swear." She looked down, twisting her arms to inspect them for discoloration. "She's little, but she packs quite a punch." Grinning, she looked back up. "But it was _so_ worth it."

Edward laughed and leaned back on his hands. "Well, Jasper's got it pretty bad for her," he confided. "It's kinda cute, in a… pathetic and needy kind of way."

Wow. Speaking of pots and kettles...

Bella crinkled her nose comically. "Seriously, what's up with the whole lovey-dovey sappy thing? I mean, _ew_."

Honestly, he wasn't sure if she were joking or not, but he rather hoped she was, because… he was totally into the whole lovey-dovey sappy thing. Now, at least. And the reason for that was sitting next to him.

Time for a subject change, before he embarrassed himself.

"Did you still want to grab some food?" Edward wondered, cocking his head at her.

"Definitely," she confirmed, scrambling to her feet. Edward followed her example, brushing off his pants as he stood. "I even skipped breakfast so I'd be hungry for lunch." He watched as she removed the remaining earbud and stuffed them both in the bag she'd slung across her chest. Scooping up the sweatshirt (and he was right, it was a U Dub hoodie), and draped it over her arm. "Where to?"

"Hold on," Edward requested, placing a stilling hand on her shoulder. She froze, casting him a curious glance. At least she still seemed to trust him, so that was something. He turned her around and carefully picked out the lawn debris she'd missed. It took ever ounce of self control to keep on task and not just run his fingers through her hair. Instead, he held out a particularly large leaf for her inspection. "You had hitchhikers," he explained with a crooked grin.

Bella let out a soft snort of laughter before reaching back and running her hands through her hair more thoroughly. "Nice. Thanks."

Without a destination in mind, they headed off in search of lunch. After a hitting a small yet popular pizza joint a few blocks away, they decided to wander the streets of Seattle rather than head back to campus.

Conversation flowed fairly easily, Edward was pleased to note. He'd been worried that, when it was just the two of them, things would be awkward or strained, but it seemed they'd managed to slip back into their old familiar banter with very little effort.

They eventually found themselves at Pike Place Market. It was a popular tourist destination in Seattle, but on a Friday afternoon in late September, the place wasn't overly crowded. Normally Edward wasn't big on shopping, and he knew Bella wasn't either, but Pike Place was just so different that it was more of an adventure than anything else.

"As long as I'm not being forced to shop for clothes with Alice, I'm fine," Bella joked at one point, after Edward had teased her about expecting her to break into hives at any moment.

It was an educational experience, Edward realized. He was able to learn so much more about Bella simply by observing the things that caught her eye, that made her pause, that drew her in to certain shops. He found himself trying to predict what, in any given window, might get her attention. He was batting four for nine. Some things were easy, because he'd paid attention when they worked together – certain styles and colors of jewelry drew her eye (greens and blues, silver over gold, simple and classic), and they reminded him of the pieces he'd seen her wear over the years. Predictably enough, she avoided most of the clothing shops, though a scarf or hat would occasionally intrigue her enough to take a closer look. He hadn't expected her to be so drawn to the artists' shops, though. Painters, photographers, sculptors, glass items seemed to appeal to her, which surprised him. And he told her as much.

"My mom paints," she replied softly, cocking her head at a particularly lovely watercolor of the Washington coast. "I can't draw stick-people to save my life, but my mom… she's actually pretty good. And she loves it, which is more important than being good, I think."

Edward stayed quiet, hoping she would continue. This was a part of Bella she'd never shared with him before, and he was intrigued, to say the least.

"I remember her setting up her easel and spending hours painting, classical music playing in the background. I'd either sit at her feet and amuse myself with my toys, when I was really little, or, as I got older, sit in the same room with her and read. It was really peaceful." Her lips quirked wryly. "Painting was one of the very few things that could keep her attention for more than a few minutes at a time. And it's about the only hobby I can remember her keeping up. She was really good at starting something - yoga, scrapbooking, Reiki, bird watching, rollerblading, you name it - then getting distracted by something shiny and flitting off to the next thing."

It had always amazed him when Bella spoke of her mother. It seemed like their roles had been reversed from the time Bella was very young – she took care of her mother, rather than her mother taking care of her. And the fact that sensible, down-to-Earth, grounded Bella had been raised by such a flighty woman boggled his mind.

Score one for nature vs. nurture. Either that or Chief Swan's serious genes counteracted the apparent crazy from Bella's mom.

"I'd like to meet your mom someday," Edward mused, grinning sideways at Bella. "I bet she could tell me some pretty interesting stories about you."

Bella snorted. "Hardly. Other than the ridiculous number of visits to the ER, I was a boring kid."

He didn't believe that for a minute. "I think the events leading up to most of those hospital visits could be pretty interesting," he pointed out, nudging her arm slightly.

"Embarrassing," she corrected, shooting him a dirty look. "Not interesting, embarrassing. And just for that, I'll make a point of never letting you meet my mom. No good could come of it, anyway. You'd just gang up on me."

Edward grinned. "You sound like you're speaking from previous experience."

"Alice," Bella stated flatly, and that pretty much said it all. Edward tossed his head back and laughed. "Yuck it up, that's right, enjoy my misery." She smacked his arm and scowled. "Just you wait, Cullen. One of these days, I'm going laugh at your pain and suffering, and we'll see how funny you think it is then."

Still laughing, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "What is it that Alice used to always say? I wouldn't tease if I didn't love?"

"Bite me," she grumbled half-heartedly. He could see her lips were twitching and she wanted to laugh, but refused to give in to the urge.

Before he could toss back his scripted line, the familiar strains of Led Zeppelin blasted from Bella's bag. It wasn't the first time that particular ring tone had sounded that afternoon, and he arched an eyebrow at her. Bella just rolled her eyes. "Ignore it. I plan to."

"Not somebody you want to talk to?"

She shrugged dismissively. "Ehn. He can leave a message if it's that important."

Edward focused on another painting hanging on the wall, and tried not to show how the fact that the caller was a "he" bothered him. Who was this "he"? Her boyfriend? God, he hoped not. She hadn't mentioned anything about a boyfriend, and one would think she would have by now.

The music stopped, and they stepped out of the shop, back into one of the main aisles. He needed to distract himself, fast, before he said or did something stupid.

Oh! Question! He could ask her the question that had been bugging the hell out of him for 17 days. "Hey, you don't have a class in Padelford on Tuesday afternoons, do you?" he asked, looking down at her. He watched as her brow furrowed.

"Yeah," she admitted cautiously, watching him from the corner of her eye. "Why?

Edward tried to hide his grin, but didn't think he succeeded. "About two weeks ago, did you almost bulldoze someone down on your way out of the building?"

The expression on her face was enough of an answer, and he started laughing.

"Oh god," she moaned, cheeks burning red. "Don't tell me…"

"I was your victim," he confirmed, once again wrapping his arm around her shoulders. It just felt right. This time, she turned and buried her face against his chest in an effort to hide her embarrassment as she mumbled an apology. And of course, that only made him laugh harder. "Don't you hide from me," he cajoled, pulling back and trying to catch her eyes. When she reluctantly looked up at him from beneath her lashes, his tone softened. "I thought it was you, but by the time I got outside to try to find you, you were gone. I," he paused just slightly, wondering whether this was a wise admission or not, "was _hoping_ it was you, but I didn't get a good enough look to know for sure. It wasn't until I ran into Alice yesterday that I knew you really were somewhere on campus." He held her gaze steadily and steeled himself for his admission. "I don't know if you understand how happy I was when I found out you were here."

Bella was quiet for a moment, but she didn't look away. Her teeth tugged at her lower lip, and Edward wanted to soothe the worried spot with his thumb. Or his lips. Or his tongue.

"I –" she began softly blinking rapidly and glancing down. And _Black Dog_ once again rang out from her bag.

The change in Bella's demeanor was instantaneous – and would've been amusing if Edward hadn't been dying to hear what she was going to say before the interruption. With an irritated growl, she reached into her purse and dug around until she found the offending phone. "Sorry, this'll just a take a sec," she apologized. Yanking the phone out violently, she flipped it open and barked into it. "What is so fucking important that you have to call five times in the span of two hours instead of leaving me a message?"

Edward bit his cheek to keep from laughing. God, he almost felt bad for the poor bastard on the other end of the phone. He watched her rake her hand through her hair and roll her eyes. "And you couldn't just leave that in a message? Or an email? That's hardly newsworthy enough for you to phone-stalk me."

He turned and peered into a nearby window, trying to give her some privacy. Well, if not privacy, then at least to make it less obvious that he was listening in.

"Jake –"

There was no way Edward could keep his head from turning sharply in her direction at that. Jake? The kid who'd had a huge and very obvious (to everyone but Bella) crush on her for years? What the hell was he doing calling her?

**---**

_Flashback_

_Edward looked up from the order he was completing as the bell over the front door tinkled. Three boys, all Native American by the looks of them, sauntered in, eyeing the counter with smiles on their faces. One of them he recognized at the kid who'd showed up to fix Bella's truck the night it decided to play dead, but the others weren't familiar._

"_Hey Bella," one of the unknown boys called as they headed over to grab themselves a table. Edward quirked an eyebrow and he glanced over at the girl in question. She gave them a small wave, but what struck him most was her smile. It wasn't at all her forced Little-Miss-Customer-Service smile, but it wasn't quite the relaxed, natural smile she tended to let show when it was just the two of them. _

_This intrigued him._

_The one he recognized was headed for them, a big grin on his face. Shit, it was a J-name… James? Justin? Jack? John? It was bugging Edward that he couldn't remember. Granted, they'd only met the one time, and that had been the better part of a year earlier, but still. _

"_Hey Jake," Bella greeted._

_Jake. Riiiiiight._

"_Bells," he grinned. "I didn't know you'd be working today."_

_Edward handed the espresso to the waiting customer, then eased his way over to where Bella was leaning against the counter. _

"_I work every Saturday, you know that," she reminded him, lips quirked into a semi-smirk._

_He thought the kid's cheeks darkened slightly, though it was difficult to tell with his already ruddy complexion. His grin never faded, though. Edward arched an eyebrow in amusement as he took in the scene before him, figuring things out pretty quickly._

_Somebody had an admirer._

_Jake's gaze jumped to Edward, who nodded and smiled in greeting. The expression in the kid's eyes turned slightly suspicious and a bit guarded, but he nodded back. "Cullen."_

_Apparently Jake was better with names than Edward was. He couldn't have given Jake's last name if his life depended on it._

"_The guys still out fishing?" Bella asked, innocently interrupting the stare-down._

_The kid's attention was instantly back on Bella, his grin returning full force. "Yeah. Don't expect him home until after dark."_

"_Great," she grumbled. "I guess I'll be cooking fish for dinner the next few nights."_

_Edward chuckled at her lack of enthusiasm. "Not a fan?"_

_Bella shrugged non-committally. "I don't hate it, but I don't like it as often as Charlie does." She cast a glare the kid's way. "It's all your dad's fault. If he wasn't so damn eager to go out every weekend, Charlie wouldn't have anyone to fish with, and he'd hardly ever go."_

"_Nah," Jake argued. Edward was starting to wonder if the kid's face hurt from smiling so much. "He'd just drag you out with him instead."_

_With an exaggerated look of horror, Bella shook her head. "Nuh-uhn, no way. Never gonna happen. I haven't been in a boat since that time we all went out and you pushed me overboard."_

_Edward sent a sharp look Jake's way, but the kid just laughed. "Aw, c'mon, Bells. That was years ago. I wouldn't do it again, I promise."_

_She glared, clearly not buying it, which made Edward a little too pleased._

"_Anyway," Bella said with a sigh, obviously eager to change the subject, "what do you want?" She motioned towards the coffee machine. _

_Edward was willing to bet a lot of money that what Jake wanted wasn't listed on the menu boards. If he wasn't so smug-looking about it, Edward might have found it amusing. But as it was, Jake was far too confident when it came to Bella. And Bella, while friendly with Jake, obviously wasn't interested in him. _

_Well, obvious to Edward, apparently not so much to Jake._

_The kid shook his head, grinning that stupid-ass, annoying grin. "Nothing," he replied. "Just thought we'd stop in and say hi."_

"_I thought you said you didn't know Bella was working today?" Edward smirked as Jake's grin finally wavered. Gotcha._

"_I should probably let you get back to work, then," Jake hurried to add, ignoring Edward as he flashed another grin – this one obviously intended to be flirtatious. "Later, Bells."_

"_Later," Bella chuckled, rolling her eyes as Jake's buddies joined him near the door. "Bye guys." The other two smiled and slipped out the door behind Jake, nudging him and slapping his back in that typical "You go, dude!" kind of way._

_Edward shook his head in amusement as Bella wiped down the counter. "You cradle robber, you," he teased, and her dark head snapped up._

"_Huh?"_

_He looked at her closely, and realized she really didn't have a clue what he was talking about. Even more fun!_

"_That kid, Jake. He's what, two years younger than you?"_

"_One," she corrected, brow furrowing. "What's your point?"_

_Edward tried to keep his smirk in check. "I didn't know you were into dating younger guys."_

_The expression on her face was priceless. Her jaw dropped, her big brown eyes grew even wider, and her cheeks changed from white to red. He couldn't help but laugh._

"_What… That's just… Why would you…" Finally she shook her head and glared at Edward. "I am __**not**__ dating Jake. He's like a kid brother. That would just be… ugh. Wrong on multiple levels."_

_Edward grinned proudly. He loved when he could get to her like that. "Really? Huh. Well, somebody had better mention that to him, because if that's the case, he's hot for his big sister."_

_And though he hadn't thought it was possible, her face grew even redder. "He is not," she protested loudly – so loudly that the handful of customers in the café looked over at her. He laughed as Bella hung her head and gnawed at her lower lip._

"_Sorry, Bella, but he is," Edward assured her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders as he tried to keep his gleeful tone under control. "He's got a big ole crush on you. Huge!"_

_It was mean of him, and he knew it was. Because now Bella would never be able to look at Jake the same way again. He knew her well enough to know that she'd get self-conscious around the kid, now, in an attempt to discourage his attention._

_Too bad for her, Edward was pretty sure that tactic wouldn't work with the kid. Somehow he suspected Jake would be like a dog with a bone where Bella was concerned, and not get the hint even if she tattooed it on his forehead. _

"_Cheer up, Swan. At least you'll only have one family to invite to the wedding," Edward goaded with a laugh._

"_Fuck you, Cullen," she growled softly, so that the patrons wouldn't hear her. Elbowing Edward sharply in the ribs, which only caused him to laugh more, she stomped off to the back room._

_Oh yeah, he was going to be holding this one over her head for a loooooong time._

_**--- **_

"Okay, stop. I'll call you back this weekend, okay? I'm busy –" Bella was cut off, obviously, and Edward watched in amusement as she sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'm with someone right now, Jake, and I'm being really rude standing here talking to you." She cast Edward an apologetic look as she paused, then spoke in to the phone again. "It's not Alice, and even if it was, I wouldn't tell her that." Another pause. "No, I'm not on a _date_," she told him, rolling her eyes. Her cheeks blushed an intriguing shade of pink, though, and she turned so that she was no longer facing Edward straight-on.

What did that mean? Did it mean she wanted it to be a date? Edward was wracking his brain, trying desperately to decipher Bella's reaction.

"A friend," she was saying, then paused again. "You remember Edward, right?" Bella cringed and held the phone away from her ear slightly. Even from 10 feet away, Edward could hear Jake's loud, unhappy voice. His loud, unhappy, very deep voice. Apparently the kid had finally hit puberty.

He cocked an eyebrow at Bella, but she didn't look at him – and he would almost swear it was on purpose. "Do you want me to talk, or are you just going to pitch a fit? I'll hang up, Jake, you know I will." Obviously, he calmed down, because Bella explained about how they'd run into each other at the club the night before, and had met up to spend the day catching up.

What Edward was still trying to figure out was why Jake seemed so angry that she was spending time with him.

"Really, Jake?" Bella was saying, her voice low and mildly threatening. "You _really_ want to get into this now?" Another pause, and then she smirked. "Yeah, didn't think so. I'll talk to you later. Say hi to your dad for me." Another pause, and a soft smile curled her lips, her tone changing to match. "Yeah, I know. Me too."

Edward was dying to know what that last bit had been about. And he was man enough to admit he was a bit jealous of the exchange.

Snapping the phone shut, she dropped it back in her back, then turned and gave Edward a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that."

They started wandering again, and Edward smiled, shrugging to let her know that it was okay. He grinned, unable to resist. "So, how's Jailbait Jake?"

Barking out an indignant laugh, she thwapped his arm soundly. "Shut up," she grumbled.

He ignored the flashing neon signs warning him 'Do Not Poke the Bella'. He'd never heeded their warning before, so why would he start now? "Is Li'l Jakey still hot for Big Sis Bella?"

"Don't make me kill you, Cullen," she warned, hip-checking him. "There's not a jury in the world that would convict me."

He laughed, wrapping his arm around her. She resisted for a moment, then relaxed into his side.

"Is that why he was pissed off you were with me? Was he getting all jealous?" The question was teasingly innocent, yet leading, just as he'd intended.

"No, he's pissed off because he's an overbearing ass," Bella muttered, then sighed again. "No, that's not fair. Jake's a great guy, and I love him to death, I really do. We got really close last year, and now he's probably my best friend, next to Alice." That revelation bothered Edward. A lot. Not because Jake was her friend, that was fine, but that they'd gotten so close while Edward had been gone. He couldn't help but wonder if they'd gotten so close _because_ he'd been gone, or if it would've happened anyway. "He's just overprotective. It's kinda sweet, in a really annoying, caveman-ish kind of way."

Edward forced a smile and nearly choked on his next words. "Good to know someone was looking out for you while I was gone."

After a little more wandering and each of them making a couple of purchases, their stomachs reminded them it was feeding time once again. They had a nice dinner at Lowell's, enjoying the beautiful view of the Sound. As the evening wore on, though, it felt as if they were both trying their damndest to ignore the elephant in the room. Edward could feel a tension building between him and Bella, and not of the nature he would have preferred. It made him anxious and fidgety, and he was sure if something didn't give soon, he'd go bald from the way he'd been raking his hand through his hair all evening.

After dessert, he suggested they make their way back towards campus, but Bella apparently had other ideas. When she asked if they go down to the waterfront for a bit, Edward was surprised, but agreed quickly. Something told him it was the smart thing to do.

Besides, who was he to refuse her anything?

Dusk was descending by then, and the old-fashioned streetlamps lining the boardwalk began stuttering to life. It wasn't busy, but there were people about: joggers with their dogs, couples strolling hand-in-hand, parents showing their children the beauty of the ocean. It was still mild, though the air was cooling quickly with the breeze off the water, and Edward felt Bella shiver next to him. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side to share his body heat. Rubbing his hand up and down her arm briskly, he peered down at her.

"Everything okay?" Edward knew he was taking a chance asking, but he had to. He'd been getting the distinct impression that Bella was turning something over in her mind, that she wanted to say something, but was holding back. He'd seen it before, and knew she'd break eventually.

It took less time than he'd expected.

"Why did you leave the way you did?"

The question was blurted out suddenly, and even Bella looked surprised. Her cheeks burned again, and she watched the ground as they continued walking.

Edward had been expecting this, really. She'd joked about it last night, but he'd seen the pain in her eyes that she'd been trying to hide. With a soft, resigned sigh, he gently steered her towards a bench set a little bit away from the others. Sitting next to her, close enough that their knees were just touching, he took a deep breath. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

"Bella, look at me. Please." Using the tip of his finger to press lightly under her chin, he tipped her face up so that she had no choice but to look at him. The wounded, lost look on her face just about undid him. He never, ever wanted to see her look at him that way again.

"You have no idea how much I regret leaving like that," he admitted softly. Even though it killed him to see the wariness in her eyes, he held her gaze as he spoke. He wanted – no, he _needed_ her to see his sincerity. "I don't think I realized how much I was going to miss you until it was time for me to go. And…," he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I was a fucking chicken-shit. Plain and simple. I didn't want to say goodbye. And I didn't want to try to keep in touch, and then to have our emails jus trail off into nothing, because I would've fucking hated that. So I figured it would be easiest if I just… left."

As he spoke, he'd noticed the furrow between Bella's eyes had been getting more pronounced. That couldn't be a good thing.

"So… you just left because you thought it would be _easier_?"

Edward nodded. "I left you a note, and the –"

"Yeah, I got the 'note'." The air quotes around the last word made him wince. "_Be safe_,"she scoffed_ ._ "Be fucking safe, Edward? What the hell kind of goodbye is that?"

He'd known it was cop-out when he'd written it, but for the life of him he hadn't known what else to say. "Bella, I –"

"Do you have _any_ idea how much that hurt?" Bella was speaking through clenched teeth now, her anger clearly taking over from confusion. "I thought we were friends, Edward. I thought I meant a little more to you than just 'Be safe'."

This was good, Edward tried to tell himself. If they got this out in the open now, they'd be able to leave it in the past and move on. It sounded like a good plan to him, until Bella set her little hands on his chest and shoved. Luckily, he was sitting, or else she might've actually been able to push him back a step or two. He didn't defend himself in any way, though, because he knew he deserved her anger.

"I left you the guitar," he reminded her. "That was supposed to –"

"It was supposed to what? Make everything better? Make me forget that you'd fucked off without so much as 'here's looking at you kid'?" She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. "I got the guitar. And thank you for it. But still." Bella looked up at him and the sadness in her dark eyes made him want to cry. "You took away _my_ chance to say goodbye to _you_. The two years we worked together, you somehow became one of my best friends, Edward, and then you just up and left. Yeah, we both knew it was coming, but... You took away my chance for any kind of closure. Do you get that? Do you get why that hurts? Why I'm angry? Do you get why _Jake's_ angry?"

Right. Of course. Edward had hurt Bella, so Jake hated him. It made sense. Not that Jake had ever seemed particularly fond of him anyway, but yes. That explained the yelling.

"I do, and Bella, I'm sorry," Edward said pleadingly, taking her hands in his and holding them over his heart. "If I could go back and do things differently, I would. In a fucking heartbeat. I swear I'll never do anything to hurt you again. Just don't…" He swallowed, well aware of how pathetic his next words would make him sound. "Just please don't walk away. Don't cut me out of your life." He released one of her hands, and lifted his own to cup her cheek. "I can handle you being angry with me. God knows I deserve it. But I can't fucking handle losing you again."

She appeared to be horribly conflicted, and he couldn't blame her for that. Bella's gaze jumped between his eyes, as if searching for the sincerity behind his words. They sat like that for a long moment, until Bella finally nodded. "Okay," she said quietly, and Edward couldn't help from breaking into a full smile he was so relieved. Her eyes narrowed and a hint of the usual gleam was back. "But I swear to god, Cullen, if you ever pull a stunt like that again? I'll hurt you in ways you never dreamed possible."

He nodded, eagerly agreeing to her terms. "I'd deserve everything you could dish out, and more. But it'll never happen."

And then he did something he'd been wanting to do for at least a year and a half. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to her forehead, kissing her tenderly. She let out a breath, and he slid closer, pulling her to him so he could tuck her head into the hollow between his shoulder and neck.

"And I'd sick Jake on you," she added cheekily, letting herself relax against him. "He's got a good six inches and 50 pounds on you now, easy. You'd be dead meat."

"At recess?"

Bella chuffed out a laugh, her body shaking against his. "Yup. You're dead at recess, Cullen."

"Whatever you say, Swan," he informed her with a smile, kissing her forehead again. "Whatever you say."

* * *

Thanks for reading! And don't forget to click that little button to submit a review! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next week seemed to pass both very quickly and very slowly, though Bella wasn't entirely sure how that worked. Classes went by slowly, but any time she spent with Edward, be it on the phone, via email/IMs/texting, or in person, passed way too quickly. She was already accustomed to having him back in her life, though as a much more constant presence than she was used to. Back in the "old days", despite their friendship, their only interaction had been at work, so talking to him on a regular basis was new.

Not that she was complaining. Oh no.

The Pike Place Purge, as Bella privately referred to their heart-to-heart at the end of their day together the previous Friday, had felt good. No, that wasn't strong enough. It had felt _amazing_. He'd apologized, and he'd meant it. He'd hugged her, and he'd meant it. He'd kissed her forehead, and she would swear she could still feel the heat of his lips against her skin. And with that small gesture, probably insignificant to Edward, but meaningful to Bella in ways she couldn't verbalize properly and which he would probably never understand, a year's worth of pain, confusion, and anger had been released into the universe. It dispersed in its own little cloud, leaving Bella feeling more at peace than she could remember being in… well, since before she was old enough to be aware of _not_ being at peace. So, maybe 7 or 8? Regardless, it was the _rightest_ she'd felt since the days before homework and responsibilities, and long before Forks and annoyingly beautiful boys named Edward.

And no, she didn't care that 'rightest' wasn't a real word.

Unfortunately, it appeared that her stupid crush on Edward was alive and well, and just as hopeless as ever. Not that she really expected that to have changed, but a girl could dream. It annoyed her to no end the effect he had on her. His voice, his smell, his eyes, his smile… the way he touched her so casually but so sweetly… the way he genuinely seemed to care about her… He made it damn hard for her to keep her thoughts and feelings for him platonic. But she had to at least keep up the pretense, if she wanted to keep him as a friend.

Wandering back toward her room after grabbing some lunch, Bella tried to figure out what to do for the rest of the afternoon. She had a paper due on Monday, but that was almost done. There was some reading she could do for later in the week, but she wasn't particularly in the mood. She felt like being lazy, just relaxing with friends. But Alice was with Jasper – again – so that ruled her out. Rose would doubtlessly be with Emmett. She could call Edward, but didn't want to harass the poor guy. Besides, she was pretty sure he'd have plans. Guys like Edward always seemed to have plans, especially on a Saturday.

Still, it couldn't hurt to try…

Pulling out her phone, Bella hit speed dial #2 and waited for the call to connect. It only rang twice before that beautiful, smooth voice was speaking into her ear.

"I was just about to call you," Edward told her, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Likely story," Bella teased.

"No, I was," he assured her with a chuckle. "Jasper and Emmett just decided to have a bit of a party tonight, and you need to come."

"I do, do I? Are Alice and Rose gonna be there?"

"I'd assume so. Why don't you just ask Alice?"

"I would, but I haven't seen her in going on 48 hours. She didn't come home last night. Again. I swear, she and Jasper are like fucking rabbits."

"You mean they're fucking_ like_ rabbits."

"Ewww," Bella whined. "I really don't need that mental picture, Cullen."

"Misery loves company," Edward pointed out with a laugh. "If I have to suffer, you have to suffer."

Bella sighed dramatically. "Moving on to less brain-scarring topics… When should I get there and will there be food and booze?"

"Whenever you want. Swing by my place first and we can head over together. And yes to the food and booze – pizza and beer, to be exact."

"Can't turn down an offer like that."

"Hey, you can come by my place anytime, Swan. I live alone, lots of privacy…"

She snorted out a laugh. "Can you hear me rolling my eyes?"

"Nope," he replied, and Bella had absolutely no trouble picturing his smug, playful grin. "You're in awe of my well-honed pick-up lines, admit it."

"Is there no limit to your ego?" Her tone was bordering on exasperated. She really didn't feel like letting on that he wouldn't need bad pick-up lines to get her into bed - he'd just have to smile that sexy smirk and she'd be naked and in his bed in 30 seconds flat.

Edward laughed. "Nope. And you of all people should know that."

"Good point," she conceded with a grumble.

"So, back to the original conversation. Can we count you in for tonight?"

"Sure," Bella replied, nodding even though he wasn't there to see her. "I'll be by around eight, okay?"

"Sounds good," he replied, and she could hear his smile. "See you tonight, Bella."

"Later," she said before terminating the call. Tossing the phone back in her bag, she couldn't help but wonder what she'd gotten herself into. One thing she knew for sure? Edward Cullen would be the death of her, no doubt about it.

As promised, Bella showed up around eight – 7:55, to be exact. She'd had punctuality drilled into her brain by her dad, and couldn't handle being late for anything. Edward answered the door wearing her favorite grin and a pair of jeans that did tremendously wonderful things for his ass. There was a shirt in there somewhere, too, but she didn't really notice it.

God, if she didn't get a grip on herself, it was going to make for one hell of a long night.

"You look nice," he complimented with a smile, throwing Bella off completely. She glanced down at her super-worn-in jeans and simple v-neck, body-hugging sweater, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Um... thank you?"

Shaking his head at her in apparent amusement, he invited her in, letting Bella make herself comfortable on his sofa while he tried to do the impossible – tame the untamable hair.

"Why do you even bother trying?" Bella called to him as she picked up a random book and started thumbing through it, not really paying attention to what was on the pages.

"Principle?"

She snorted out a laugh. "You mean you're a sucker for lost causes."

"And what does that say about why I like hanging out with you?" Edward's smirk was firmly in place as he strolled back into the room, his hair looking exactly the same as it had when he'd disappeared to 'fix' it.

Bella mouthed 'ha ha' at him and tossed the book back on the coffee table as she got to her feet. "You hang out with me because I'm one of the few people who'll put up with your shit," she informed him smugly.

"Huh," he mused, tilting his head slightly as he made a show of looking thoughtful. "And here I thought it was because you're a beautiful, brilliant, funny, sarcastic, smartass of a woman who keeps me on my toes like nobody else can."

Despite the fact she knew very well he was joking, Bella felt her cheeks start to burn. "My point exactly," she muttered, heading for the door. "Let's go before Emmett eats all the pizza."

Edward stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. "Hey," he said softly. His beautiful eyes sought out hers, and she fought to hold his gaze as her teeth worried her bottom lip. "I wasn't kidding, y'know. You really are all those things."

Oh god. If he kept looking at her like that, she was going to do or say something she'd regret. She'd managed to build up a pretty good immunity to his charm when they'd worked together several times a week, but after a year apart, her defenses were seriously lacking.

_Urge to kiss, rising... _

_No! Must... resist! C'mon, Swan, laugh it off!_

"I'll give you the sarcastic, smartass, and woman stuff," she finally relented, forcing a smirk to her lips. "But the jury's still out on the rest."

Something flickered in Edward's expression for a moment, but before she could identify it, it was gone. He smiled and rolled his eyes. "You always have to fight me on everything, don't you."

He didn't make it a question.

"I do, I really do," she said flippantly. "And you know you'd be disappointed if I ever stopped. C'mon, it's time to invade the love nest down the hall and gawk at the happy couples all night. Just to make them uncomfortable, of course."

With a chuckle, Edward slid his hand from her arm to the small of her back as he ushered her out the door and down the hall. Her skin tingled from where he touched her through her shirt.

It was definitely going to be a long night.

Just as Bella had feared, it was a Couples Zone at the boys' apartment. Alice and Jasper were practically joined at the hip (or lips… or both) and making goo-goo eyes at each other. And while Rosalie and Emmett were clearly enjoying each other's company, they managed to do so without quite the same diabetic-coma-inducing amount of sweetness exhibited by Jalice, as Bella and Edward had begun to – mostly affectionately – refer to them.

What was surprising, however, was that the alleged 'party' was actually just a get-together for the six of them. Which made Bella feel conspicuously single. Thank god for Edward. The two of them kept themselves amused by shooting each other conspiratorial little smirks and rolling their eyes at the antics of the love birds.

The pizza was consumed in record time, and the beer well into by the time the idea was suggested of playing Trivial Pursuit – the drinking game version.

"How does that work?" Alice asked with a cute little tilt of her head that made her appear rather kittenish.

"Easy," Emmett replied, grinning broadly. That seemed to be his default expression, Bella decided. "When you get a question right, the other team drinks. When you get a question wrong, your team drinks. When you're going for a pie piece, instead of a drink it's a ten-second chug."

That sounded pretty damn fun to Bella, who nodded in eager agreement. The teams were quickly set – Edward and Alice, Jasper and Rose, Emmett and Bella. In a way, she would have preferred to have been teamed with Edward, but she figured it might be a little less painful for the two singles in the group if the two couples were split up for a while.

Her tolerance for lovey-dovey behavior was waning by the hour.

Rose, Jasper, and Emmett started setting up the game while Alice made a trip to the little girl's room. Bella escaped to the kitchen in search of more snacks – and more beer. She was rooting through the cupboards for chips or pretzels or some other kind of salty goodness, and didn't notice anyone enter the kitchen behind her.

"I'm really glad you came tonight," Edward told her, leaning down to speak into her ear and making her jump. He chuckled at her reaction. "I hate being the fifth wheel."

"Oh, so that's the only reason you wanted me to come," she joked. She hit pay-dirt with the next cupboard, and pulled out an assortment of snacks before turning towards him. "I see how it is, Cullen."

He stood back up and watched her for a moment. "I don't think you really do," he murmured. Before Bella had a chance to ask him what he meant, he was turning to the fridge. "Beer?"

"Please."

He passed her a bottle, and she tried to twist off the top with no success. Wrapping the bottom of her shirt around it to keep it from sliding in her hand, she tried the cap again.

Still nothing.

"Fucking hell," she grumbled under her breath. Suddenly another pair of hands appeared, long-fingered and sexy as hell, one curling around the hand under her shirt, and the other gently pushing aside the one struggling with the cap.

"Here," Edward said softly, and Bella made the mistake of looking up. He was leaning in so close his nose was practically brushing her forehead. She froze, her breath catching in her throat as he leaned down further, his hair gently brushing hers. As simple and innocent as the situation was, she couldn't quite keep her eyes from fluttering shut at the sensation of his incredibly soft hair tickling her skin.

Such a minor thing, but such major a weakness…

**---**

_Flashback_

_It had been a normal, boring Wednesday evening shift. Bella and Edward had spent more time chatting than serving the handful of customers who trickled into the shop, but neither of them really minded._

_Well, Bella assumed Edward didn't mind, because he definitely didn't complain._

_At a little after 9:00, Bella left Edward to close out the till as she went to drag the security gate across the front of the store. It seemed like serious overkill to her, since the crime rate in Forks was… well, pretty damn low. Mostly small things, like the occasional act of vandalism in the form of some kid getting his hands on a can of spray paint, or teenagers getting drunk at some bush party. There was very rarely any kind of breaking and entering, or petty thefts. And she liked to think Charlie and his small but dedicated police force had something to do with that._

_Still, Tom would rather be safe than sorry, so Bella followed orders. _

_The security gate was actually a long, accordion-folding door comprised of vertical glass slats between flat metal bars, and there was a plunging lock that sunk into a hole in the floor at each end, and at three points along the length of the door. Four of the five were easy to work, but the fifth plunger was the bane of Bella's existence. Ninety percent of the time, it stuck for her, and she had to fight to get it to release and slide into place. And it seemed to be getting more stubborn by the week._

_Saving it for last, Bella worked her way over from the far end of the gate, sliding the plungers down and shaking the door slat to make sure they were secure. Predictably, the fifth wasn't going to play nice._

_Twisting the key in the lock, Bella pulled the small round handle out and tried to push the plunger down, wiggling the door slat slightly in an effort to line up the plunger with the hole. Sadly, that didn't seem to matter, because the damn thing wouldn't lower._

"_Goddamn, fucking piece of shit," she cursed, kicking the slat in frustration._

"_You okay over there?" Edward called with a laugh._

"_Shut it, Cullen," Bella snapped, "or next time I'll make you do this."_

_Returning to her task, she took a deep breath to calm herself and tried again. The stupid thing wouldn't budge. She stood on her toes, trying to get enough leverage to use her full body weight to push the damn plunger down, but nothing._

_Suddenly a warm body was in front of her, large hands entangled with hers, and vaguely coffee-scented breath puffing into her face. Before Bella could take a step back, giving him room to work, Edward leaned down, examining the plunger. His hair flopped forward, tangling with hers in a way that was so shockingly intimate that Bella froze. Glancing up at him from beneath her lashes, she watching him work, apparently completely unaffected by their close proximity. He moved again, and his bangs brushed her forehead._

_A very unwelcome fluttering shot through Bella's chest, and she bit her lower lip, silently pleading with her body not to betray her. It was a fruitless plea, however, as she felt her cheeks grow warm with a blush she simply couldn't suppress. _

_In a move of pure self-preservation, she took a step back, instantly missing the feel of his silky hair tangling up with hers, and watched him fight with the lock. While he was distracted, she allowed herself to look at him, really __**look**__ at him. He was good looking, obviously. Anyone with at least one working eye had to admit that. And he'd turned out to be so different from what she'd originally thought. She liked working with him, spending time with him. Besides Alice, she found it easiest to talk to Edward than anyone else she knew. He challenged her. He made her laugh. He did thoughtful things for her, like give her guitar lessons... _

_Oh god. Oh no, no, no._

_Bella was horrified as the realization struck and settled in to her brain._

_She was attracted to Edward. No, she was more than attracted to him, that alone she could deal with. What was worse? She __**liked**__ him._

_Oh __**god**__!_

_Mentally flogging herself, Bella raked her fingers through her hair, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she tried to process this revelation._

_Edward. Her friend, her co-worker… the unattainable heart-throb of Port Angeles High. _

_She had a crush on Edward. _

_Fuck._

_And she knew it was probably the most self-destructive thing she could have possibly done to herself, because there was no way she could ever act on her feelings. Why? Because there was no way in hell Edward Fucking Cullen would ever be interested in Boring Bella Swan. They were from very different worlds and very different high school social scenes. _

_Apparently sensing something was off, Edward paused in his struggle with the lock and looked up at her. Obviously noting the distress on her face (that she clearly was doing a piss poor job of hiding), his brow furrowed. "Hey, you okay?"_

_Forcing a smile, which she was sure he wouldn't buy, Bella shook her head. "Yeah, no, I'm fine," she assured him. "Just freaked out for a sec because I forgot I had a test first period tomorrow. Have to make sure I study when I get home."_

_The excuse sounded lame even to her own ears, and she mentally face-palmed. Edward quirked an eyebrow at her in obvious disbelief. "Whatever, Swan," he said dismissively. "You don't want to tell me, I'm not gonna force it out of you." His expression softened at something he obviously saw in her expression, and she was terrified to wonder what that might have been. "But you know I'm here if you want to talk about it."_

_Bella breathed out a soft sigh of relief. "Thanks. If I change my mind, you'll be the first to know."_

_It was a blatant lie, and she knew it, which made her feel vaguely guilty. But she pushed past it, telling herself that what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. Because short of an_

_impending apocalypse, there was absolutely nothing that could convince her to admit her feelings to Edward. The rejection would humiliate her to the point of death._

_Bella was many things, but a masochist wasn't one of them._

**---**

"There you go," Edward said, voice low. There was a short pause before he spoke again. "Bella?"

Her eyes opened with a start, only to meet the penetrating green gaze of the man still standing far too close for comfort. Cheeks blazing, she took a hurried step backwards, and Edward appeared reluctant as he let go of the bottle that bonded them together. "Thanks," she mumbled, turning and grabbing the chip bags from the counter. "You've got the drinks for everyone else?"

Without waiting for an answer, Bella very nearly ran to the living room. A half glance backwards revealed Edward standing where she'd left him, an unreadable expression on his face as he watched her walk away.

"Fuck," she swore under her breath. _Get a grip, Swan. You can't let a stupid, unrequited, adolescent crush fuck up your friendship. Get over it. _Steeling herself, Bella turned fully and flashed him a wicked grin as she continued walking backwards into the living room. "C'mon, Cullen, quit stalling and get your scrawny ass out here so we can start the game. Unless you're scared that you're gonna lose…?"

There. Taunting and teasing. Perfectly normal Bella-Edward interaction. She could handle that.

Apparently that had the desired effect, because Edward smirked at her. "My ass isn't scrawny, Swan. It's damn fine, and you know it."

_Truer words…_

"Vanity, thy name is Edward," she said with a snort of laughter.

"Would you two please stop your little mating ritual and get the fuck over here so we can play?"

Bella froze and turned wide eyes in Rose's direction, giving her a very clear 'WTF?!' look. The blond just smirked and shrugged. "I call 'em like I see 'em."

Emmett guffawed and Jasper smiled to himself as he finished setting up the board. No help there, obviously. When she looked to Alice for support, the pixie had a disturbingly thoughtful expression on her face as she looked back and forth between Bella and Edward, who was choosing to ignore Rosalie's comment and was busying himself getting enough bottles of beer out of the fridge for everyone. And then it was like a light bulb went on in Alice's head, and a slow, knowing smile spread across face. Bella shot her best friend a warning glare, but Alice only grinned, bouncing excitedly in her seat as she quite obviously began to plot.

"Shut the fuck up and eat your damn chips," Bella grumbled, tossing a bag of Doritos at Rose, who caught it easily.

"Temper, temper, Isabella," she mocked, laughing when Bella picked up a throw pillow and lobbed it at her head. "Your aim's getting better. I'm impressed."

Edward quietly returned to the living room and handed out the beers. He didn't say anything but glanced at Bella from beneath his lashes, causing her stupid heart to speed up. Okay, that just wasn't fair. No man should be able to get away with that kind of girly look, let alone look so damn sexy doing it. He smiled crookedly at her and took his place next to Alice, who, in Bella's opinion, was still looking devious.

"I guess I just needed the right incentive," Bella drawled, flopping down on the couch next to Emmett and grinning at him. "All right, partner. Take no prisoners?"

"You know it, Bellarina," he grinned back, draping his arm around her shoulders and hugging her. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the silly nickname with which he'd dubbed her that first night they'd met. If anyone else had tried it, she likely would've hit them. But somehow, from Emmett, she didn't mind.

Edward looked around the room, his eyes settling on Bella's as he grinned rakishly. "And let the games begin."

If she didn't know better, she'd swear he wasn't talking about Trivial Pursuit.

The game was surprisingly close. As things had progressed and more drinking occurred, more wrong answers were given, and the shit-talking became more enthusiastic. By some small miracle, all three teams now had all their pie pieces, and were currently fighting their way to the center of the board. Every roll sent them past their target, however, leading to raucous laughter and teasing each time, regardless that the same thing happened to everyone.

There had been much drinking during the game, clearly.

Rose and Jasper rolled next, and Bella laughed as Rosalie scowled, watching as Jasper moved their pie past the center and down one of the wheel spokes.

"History," Edward announced, pulling out a card with a dramatic flourish, then his face fell. "Oh, for fuck sake," he grumbled with disgust. Sighing, he continued. "How many future US Presidents fought in the Civil War?"

"Oh, that's so unfair!" Bella was instantly climbing to her knees on the sofa, leaning over Emmett's shoulders and pointing accusingly at Jasper. "Shenanigans! I call shenanigans on you!"

Edward laughed at Bella's antics, half standing so he could loop and arm around her waist and pull her off Emmett. "Sit down, Swan," he chastised with a mocking tsk. "No shenanigans, just dumb fucking luck."

Bella stuck her tongue out at him, and he waggled his eyebrows at her. He leaned in close, his lips almost brushing her ear, and Bella couldn't quite suppress the shiver that went through her body. "Don't stick it out if you don't plan on using it," he warned in a voice she was sure made panties drop the world over.

He moved away and she met his taunting gaze, her own eyes narrowing in irritation. In a move she could only blame on the amount of beer she'd consumed, she grabbed his jaw with one hand, holding him still as she leaned in and slowly drew the flat of her tongue up the side of his face. The others cheered and laughed, urging her on.

"Satisfied?" Bella quipped, as she released his face. Sitting back down with a smug little grin, the others howled. Edward's eyes burned into hers, his lips quirked in amusement.

"Not yet," he fired back, not missing a beat. "But I'm sure if you really put your mind to it, I could be."

Bella had absolutely no clue how to reply to that. She knew now she'd set herself up for it, but her beer-addled brain hadn't realized how dangerous those words would be before letting them pour out of her mouth. Fortunately – or not – Rose interrupted and kept Bella from further embarrassing herself.

"Okay, you two, seriously? The bedrooms are back that way," Rosalie informed them with a dismissive wave. "Go hash it out in private, we don't want to watch."

"Says you," Emmett argued with a playfully leering grin.

"I'm enjoying the show," Jasper agreed, leaning back and smiling innocently over his bottle of beer. Bella scowled at him, hoping that he'd at least be on her side.

"I thought you were the nice one," she accused. "Southern gentleman, and all that."

He just shrugged lazily and kept smiling, tipping the brim of an invisible cowboy hat. "Sorry to disappoint, ma'am."

It was Alice, however, who saved the day with a really lame attempt at a DeNiro impersonation. "Yo, blond and blonder. Yous guys gonna answer the question, or what? We ain't gots all night, y'know."

Bella tossed a grateful smile Alice's way, and the other girl winked conspiratorially. In other words, Bella wasn't off the hook, but Alice wanted to pursue the issue in private.

"She goes all New Yawka when she's been drinking?" Edward asked no-one in particular, quite obviously amused.

"No, she just thinks she can do really good celebrity impressions," Bella explained, then added in a stage whisper. "But she can't. She's horrible at them!"

Edward laughed and Alice huffed, glaring at them. "Fine, see if I ever come to your rescue again." But by the way her grey eyes were twinkling, Bella knew it was an empty threat.

"Six," Jasper answered casually, and everyone looked at him in confusion. He laughed softly. "The answer to the question. Six future presidents fought in the Civil War."

Edward turned the card over and groaned. "He's right," he confirmed with a sigh, then lifted his beer. "And let's drink up!"

As it turned out, the next roll was the winner, and the gloating began immediately. Bella shared an amused look with Edward as the couples started bickering amongst themselves. "Trouble in paradise all ready," she said with a sigh, shaking her head sadly. "Tragic."

"At least we both lost," he grinned in agreement.

"Woo-hoo, go Team Losers!" Bella stood and did a little victory dance. So preoccupied was she with her interpretation of a touch-down celebration, she didn't notice until it was too late that Edward had a plan. Snagging her around the waist, he pulled her down onto his lap. They booth laughed out an "oof" as she landed heavily.

"We'll have to team up next time," he informed her with a lazy grin, not loosening his hold around her waist.

"We will," Bella agreed, turning to find his face much closer than she'd thought it would be. She was rather pleased with her current perch, but suddenly found being in such close proximity to Edward was wreaking havoc on her body. Her heart was suddenly racing, and she was finding it hard to breathe. And was it awfully warm in there, or...?

_Run away, run away! _

Shutting her eyes, Bella let herself slide backwards off Edward's lap so that slowly eased back against the arm of the sofa. Her butt was pressed against the side of his thigh, her legs stretched out across him, and she made a show of wriggling to get comfortable.

"Comfy?"

Bella opened her eyes to see a slightly rumpled looking Edward peering down at her with a smile. "Yes, thanks," she replied, closing her eyes again. Suddenly she was feeling rather tired. A nap couldn't hurt...

"Don't fall asleep here," he warned. "Once those four disappear behind closed doors, you definitely don't want to be in this apartment."

Eyes popping open in exaggerated horror, she sat up quickly. From the looks of the two couples, they weren't too terribly far from retiring for the night. And Edward was right – she didn't want to be there when their doors closed.

"I'd better get home," Bella yawned, swinging her legs off Edward and getting to her feet unsteadily. Her head spun unexpectedly, and she reached out to brace herself against Edward's shoulder. "Whoa... beer."

"You're not going home alone, not with as much as you've had to drink," Edward informed her, suddenly standing next to her with his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm not?" Bella asked, clearly skeptical. "I wasn't aware you had any say in that."

Edward rolled his eyes. "C'mon, you can crash at my place."

Bella gnawed on her bottom lip as she considered her options. Stagger back to the dorm alone and sleep in her own bed, or stumble down the hall to Edward's apartment and crash there. Only one of them sounded particularly appealing.

"Okay," she agreed, her nod taking a little more effort than it had a few minutes ago.

Chuckling softly, Edward called out to the others to let them know he and Bella were leaving, and Bella smiled sleepily, waving at them.

"Bella!" She turned just in time to find her arms filled with pixie. "We're gonna have a _really_ long talk tomorrow, missy," Alice whispered in her ear before pulling back and giving Bella a meaningful look, punctuating the statement with a smacking kiss on Bella's cheek.

"Yeah yeah, I know," she agreed, hugging her tiny friend. "Tomorrow."

Edward kept his arm around her shoulders as he led her back down the corridor to his apartment. Bella was pretty sure she should've felt awkward being there alone with him when she was planning on spending the night, but she just couldn't find it in herself. They didn't talk much as Edward found an old t-shirt for Bella to sleep in, and she disappeared into the bathroom to change and wash her face. When she came out, Edward was in the living room, sprawled out on the couch and channel surfing. He was in a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants and grey t-shirt, and it his hair was in even wilder disarray than usual.

He looked like sex. It was completely unfair.

The t-shirt he'd loaned her came down almost to her knees, so she didn't feel particularly self-conscious as she padded over to join him, despite the way she thought she saw his eyes travel over her body. Yawning hugely, Bella climbed up onto the couch, curling her legs up so her heels hit her bum, and leaned into Edward, resting her head on his shoulder. After a moment, he shifted her slightly so that he could put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. She let out a contented little sigh, and snuggled closer.

"You should go to bed," he told her softly, his hand rubbing her arm. His breath ruffled her hair slightly, her nose twitched in protest as a strand fell forward into her face.

"I'm good here," she mumbled as she brushed her hair away, not at all inclined to move from the sofa. Edward smelled far too good up close like this. How could someone smell so good all the time?

"Don't make me carry you, Bella," he warned teasingly. Forcing her eyes open, she looked up at him and pouted.

"Even though that's about the cutest thing I've ever seen, it's not gonna work." Edward chuckled and gently shifted her forward, then stood, pulling her up with him. They entered the bedroom, and he pulled back the duvet, holding it up as Bella climbed under it.

Oh. Oooooh, comfy bed. Even better, a comfy bed that smelled like Edward.

Smiling blissfully, she snuggled into the pillow, pulling the duvet up around her chin and rolling over so that she faced the middle of the bed. Apparently Edward found her actions amusing, because he laughed softly. "Good night, Bella."

Her eyes snapped open at that, her brow furrowing as she looked over her shoulder at him. "Where are you going?"

Already partway across the room, Edward cocked his head at her and offered a crooked smile. "The living room," he told her, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Why?" Bella was confused.

"I'm sleeping on the couch so you can have the bed."

Ummmm.... that would be a great big _no_.

"Nuh-uh," Bella protested, flipping back the covers on the other side of the bed. "I'm not kicking you out of your own bed." His arched eyebrow indicated his obvious disbelief over the invitation. "We both know you've had too much to drink to be any kind of serious threat to my virtue, Cullen," she pointed out dryly as she closed her eyes again. As if he'd want anything to do with her virtue, even if she still had it to be threatened. "Turn off the fucking light and come to bed."

She heard a snort of laughter, but the light clicked off. "Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse?" He said drolly. Seconds later, the bed sank as Edward climbed in beside her.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" she wondered quietly, smiling into the pillow. She opened one eye and could just make out his profile in the darkness. He was looking at her, she thought, but she couldn't be sure.

A low, sexy chuckle was her reply. "Good night, Bella."

"G'night, Edward," she mumbled, letting her eyes close again. Just as she was drifting off, she thought she felt him kiss the top of her head, but dismissed it as a sleep and alcohol-induced delusion.

Still, it was fodder for some lovely dreams.

**Many thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a review for the last chapter. Your feedback is what keeps me writing. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

_**The events in this chapter, much like the previous, were never supposed to happen. However, Bella and Edward were rather insistent that I not move on until they got to play this stuff out. So this chapter will be an anomaly in this story. **_

_**How so, you wonder? Glad you asked! This will likely be the only chapter containing both Edward's and Bella's POVs (unless they stage another coup, at some point, and inform me otherwise). So while it doesn't follow the pattern I've been painstakingly establishing since Chapter 1, this chapter needed to happen. Or so I've been informed. (Stupid, pushy head people.) I hope you'll enjoy!**_

**Chapter 7**

_**EDWARD**_

Flashes.

Arms and legs, twined intimately together. Ivory skin, like silk. Long, dark hair, surrounding him like a curtain. Her scent was everywhere, intoxicating him.

Whispered voices, skin sliding against skin.

Warm. Soft. Electric.

Flashes. Faster.

Flushed skin. Rounded hips. Full breasts.

"Bella..."

Lips and tongues. Pants and gasps. Whimpers and moans.

"Edward... oh god..."

Sweet words, heated touches.

"Bella... need you..."

More.

"Please... Edward..."

Reeling. Dizzy. Euphoric.

"Yes. Bella… ungh, yes."

Hot and wet and tight and _perfect_.

_More._

"Love... love you. Edward... so good..."

Rocking, stroking, thrusting.

Ecstasy. Bliss. Rapture.

_More!_

"Perfect. Mine. Bella... _mine_."

Nirvana. Together.

"Yours. Yes."

Flashes. Images fading.

_No!_

Desperation. Loss. Pain.

Slipping away...

Pain.

_Ow. _

Wait... _pain_?

A sharp pain in his shin roused Edward from sleep, and rather rudely at that. Confused, still trying to cling to his dream even as it slipped away from him, he lifted his head and looked around. His room, his bed… and Bella sprawled out next to him.

His dream came back to him in a rush of sensations and emotions, and he dropped his head back onto his pillow with a soft groan. Having a sex dream about the girl sleeping mere inches away? Generally not a good idea. He was just glad he hadn't tried to act out the dream and molest her while they were both sleeping.

He sighed in frustration and took several deep, slow breaths as he tried to compose himself. Unsurprisingly, his body had reacted to his dream in a perfectly natural way, and he did his best to will the tightening in his pajamas to ease.

After several long minutes, Edward felt more in control and let himself relax. Beside him, Bella was shifting restlessly and muttering something about… _penguins_?

Ooooookay then.

He was having an erotic dream about Bella, and she, in turn, was apparently dreaming about tuxedo-clad feather-faces tap dancing their way across the frozen tundra to a cleverly-scripted Morgan Freeman narration.

Something was wrong and decidedly unfair about that.

As Edward watched, her legs flailed (clearly how his poor leg had fallen victim in the first place... and he supposed he deserved it, considering what he'd been dreaming when she assaulted him) and she kicked the covers mostly off before rolling onto her stomach. Her head was turned towards him on the pillow, and he took a moment to study her while she slept. She entertained him for several minutes as her brow furrowed from time to time, or the hand curled under her chin twitched.

"No...," she mumbled softly, a pucker forming in between her eyebrows, and Edward couldn't keep from stroking it with his finger in an attempt to smooth it – to soothe her. He wondered what she could be dreaming about now, what could be causing such a troubled reaction. Surely it wasn't Happy Feet. Penguins were happy little birds, weren't they?

"No pink sequins, Alice..."

A snort of laughter escaped him before he could stop it.

_That'll teach me to assume the worst._

It also had him wondering whether he'd mistaken "pink sequins" for "penguins" in the first place. He supposed he'd never know.

Partially sitting up, Edward yawned and ran his hand through his hair – more out of habit than in any hope of making it look presentable. A glance at the clock by his bed informed him it was a little before eleven, and he wondered whether he should wake Bella or let her sleep a little while longer.

He looked back at her, to see if maybe she was stirring, and froze. When Bella had kicked the blankets free, she'd uncovered her far side from shoulder to toe. And apparently while she'd slept, the T-shirt that had seemed plenty long enough the night before had worked its way up over hips, leaving her little black-bikini-brief-clad butt exposed for the world to see.

Well, no, not the world. Just Edward. And he would protest anyone else getting to see said butt, despite the fact he had no claim to it.

Feeling like a pervert, but not really able to bring himself to care, he let his eyes travel slowly from her little toes up her calf to her thigh, and up further still, to where her thigh met the gentle swell of her ass. His hands twitched, remembering the feel of dream-Bella's dream-butt cupped in them. The desire to stroke that faint crease between thigh and buttock was almost overwhelming. Was the skin there was as soft as it looked? Was she was ticklish there? Better yet, was it an erogenous zone?

He wanted to know. Desperately.

Somehow, he figured that might be pushing the boundary of their newly recovered friendship, though.

Groaning in frustration, he flopped back down, hand over his eyes as he laughed soundlessly at the ridiculousness of his situation. He had Bella – wearing just his t-shirt and a pair of really tiny bikini underwear – in his bed, and he had to behave.

Clearly, someone in the universe had a sick sense of humor.

Carefully, Edward pulled the duvet back up as far as her waist, hoping to prevent Bella from waking to an even more embarrassingly uncomfortable situation than was necessary. Then he rolled onto his side, head propped up on his hand so he could watch her sleep.

He hoped he'd have plenty of opportunities in the future to indulge himself like this, but he wasn't going to let this chance pass him by. Reaching out with his free hand, Edward gently brushed the backs of his fingers over her high cheekbone, down along her jaw to her throat. Her skin was so incredibly soft. He repeated the circuit several times before letting his hand drift to her hair, combing the messy strands back from her face. Her breathing was beginning to shallow out slightly, so he suspected she wouldn't sleep much longer.

With a devious little smile, Edward gently grasped a lock of her hair and used it to tickle her nose, ever so lightly. It twitched, and Bella sniffled softly, but didn't wake up. He bit his lip to keep from laughing, and tickled her nose again, this time a little bit longer. She grumbled a bit and brought a limp hand up to brush her face, but still, her eyes didn't open. Again, he repeated the hair-paintbrush-across-the-nose move, but this time leaned over to croon her name softly in her ear.

"Bel-la," he sing-songed. "Bellllll-laaaaaa… Wakey wakey, Sleep-Talking Beauty."

That, at last, got a better reaction. Her face scrunched up in annoyance, her lower lip jutting out in a way that made him want to swoop down and nibble on it. The best part, however, was that she snuggled up to him, burying her head against his chest. "Go 'way," was her muffled response, and he couldn't hold back the laughter any longer.

"I'm not going anywhere," he informed her, stroking her hair in an attempt to convince her to stop hiding. "This is my bed. If anyone has to go away, it's you. You're the invader. And a chatty one, at that."

_And she'll remember where she is in three, two...._

Edward could pinpoint the _exact_ second her brain woke up enough to process the situation. Bella breathed in sharply and her body went very still.

"Something wrong?" His tone was innocent, but he knew the grin he wore was anything but.

Very, very slowly, Bella drew her head back. She blinked blearily, and finally looked up, meeting his eyes. "Good morning," he grinned.

Her cheeks instantly bloomed red, and she rolled onto her back, covering her face with both hands. She made a choking-gurgle sound that caused Edward to laugh even more. "What kind of greeting is that?"

"Mo'nimf," came the severely muffled reply.

"Pardon me?" He leaned over and pried her hands off her beat-red face. She opened her eyes and reluctantly met his gaze. "I'm sorry, Bella, I didn't quite catch that."

"Morning," she repeated in a sleep-roughened voice that, to Edward, sounded like pure sex.

"That's better," he said with an approving nod.

"You're evil," she informed him with a groan, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to roll away from him. But Edward was having no part in that. His arm shot out and locked around her waist, effectively imprisoning her against his chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" He wondered with a laugh. "Is that any way to thank me for letting you take over my bed? I'm going to end up with bruises all over my legs from your bony little feet wailing on me all night, and now you try to run away? No way, Swan. I think I'm going to keep you here for a while."

And with that, he settled down next to her, holding her to him like a Bella-sized teddy bear.

"Cullen, I swear to god I'll breathe my morning breath all over you if you don't let me go," she warned, trying (and failing) to sound threatening.

"Pffft. Like that would scare me," he scoffed and she began squirming in an attempt to free herself. "Besides, I've got the very same weapon, and paybacks are a bitch."

"C'mon, Edward," Bella pleaded. Apparently her embarrassment over the situation was short-lived, because she was looking up and meeting his gaze now. He'd forgotten just how resilient she could be. "I _really _have to pee. Please let go? I'll even come back so we can continue our slumber party, if you want. I'll braid your hair and you can paint my nails, and we can gossip about cute boys."

Edward heaved a dramatic sigh and lifted his arm. "Y'know, Swan, women are usually making up reasons to get _into_ my bed, not excuses to get out of it," he joked with a smirk, watching as she slid over to the edge of the bed and scrambled to her feet. He got another quick glimpse of her butt as she stood, in the second before she thought to pull the shirt down.

"Yeah, but how many repeat visitors do you get?" Bella shot back with a smirk of her own.

Huh. Apparently she woke up quickly, once she actually managed to open her eyes.

Growling playfully, Edward snagged the pillow she'd been using and lunged forward, whacking her across the ass with it. She let out a surprised squeak of laughter before bolting from the room and to the relative safety of the bathroom.

Once he heard the door close with a click, Edward collapsed back on the mattress with a groan of frustration. "Glutton for punishment much, Cullen?" He covered his face with her pillow and breathed in. Fuck. It smelled like her.

He wasn't sure he'd ever seen anyone or anything quite as tempting as Bella dressed in his T-shirt. What was it about women wearing their men's clothes that drove said men so crazy?

Ownership, he decided.

_It claims her as yours. The only thing better than Bella in your shirt would be Bella in a shirt with your name across the back of it. _

Sadly, he knew he was right. He might as well just pee on her.

"You're pathetic," he chastised himself before forcing himself to put the pillow back in its proper place.

Scratching at the stubble on his chin, Edward rolled out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. Food, food... Coffee, obviously. But what else? Eggs? Pancakes? Bacon? Hmmm, maybe all three. If he had any hope of repeating last night's sleepover – pajamas optional, with any luck – he'd better make a good impression, and a full, home-cooked breakfast definitely couldn't hurt.

Because waking up to Bella every morning was something he could get used to far, far too easily.

_______

_**BELLA**_

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

The moment Bella opened the door to her room, she was knocked backwards by her roommate's squeal-accompanied kamikaze attack. Wrapped up in Alice's arms, Bella staggered, trying to regain her balance. "Jesus, Alice, take it easy," she grumbled, trying peel off the pixie.

Alice stepped back and went from ecstatic to serious and determined the blink of an eye. "Dish."

"Wow, you sure don't waste any time, do you?" She observed with a grumble. "But sorry, there's nothing to dish."

Tossing her jacket over her desk chair, Bella sat on her bed and kicked off her shoes. Alice settled down barely a foot away, sitting Indian-style and facing Bella, who sighed and prepared herself for the barrage of questions she knew was coming.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Where did you sleep last night?"

"At Edward's," Bella stated blandly.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. _Where_ at Edward's?"

Bella sighed. "In his bed."

"And where did Edward sleep?"

"In his bed." Bella's eyes narrowed, just daring Alice to make a big deal out of it. Apparently she had no sense of self-preservation whatsoever.

"Did you have sex with him?"

"No!" Bella exclaimed loudly, eyes wide. "What the fuck, Alice?"

Alice only shrugged. "What? You obviously want each other, so it would be a natural development."

Sighing again, Bella rubbed her forehead, right between her eyes. She was getting a headache that had absolutely nothing to do with the amount of beer she drank the night before.

She had to admit, waking up snuggled into Edward's chest had been the most pleasant wake-up she'd had in… well, forever. And despite her initial embarrassment over the situation, they'd had a very laid back, easy going breakfast together, with absolutely no awkwardness.

Good think he didn't know about some of the dreams he'd starred in with her during the night. Things might not have been quite so easy, then.

"I'm going to tell you this one time, Al. _One._ Edward isn't interested. He made that abundantly clear when he bailed on going to prom." Ugh. She didn't want to think about what still rated as one of the most humiliating experiences of her life. "He flirts because I'm female. I'm his friend, end of story."

"He doesn't flirt with me or Rose like that," Alice pointed out.

"Probably because you're both dating two of his best friends," Bella said dryly. "It's just what we've always done – he flirts and propositions, I shoot him down." She shrugged one shoulder, and tucked her hair behind her ear. "We know our roles and we don't go off script. Simple as that."

Alice looked at Bella for a long moment, her steady grey gaze more than a little unnerving. "You do realize you were flirting back last night, right?"

Bella blinked. "No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were."

"Alice, I don't –"

"Oh, for fuck sake, Bella!" Alice leapt off the bed, making Bella jump in surprise. Throwing her hands up in the air, Alice began pacing the floor. "He flirts with you, you flirt back. You obviously like him, he obviously likes you. So why don't you two hopelessly obvious people do the obvious thing here?"

Sighing, Bella looked to the ceiling for help. None was forthcoming. "And what, in your infinite wisdom, would that be?"

"Jump him the next time you see him."

Bella made a game show buzzer sound, creating an "X" with her arms. "Wrong answer," she informed with a glare.

"Okay, then how about trying the obvious _mature_ thing, and, oh, I don't know, _talk_ to him about it?"

"There's no point," she said with a shrug. "We've been friends too long for him to ever see me as anything else."

Alice perked up, head cocked slightly to one side. "So you're not denying that you like him?"

"Would you believe me if I said 'no'?"

"No." Alice's cute little pixie face suddenly looked sad as she sat down on the bed. "How could you keep something like this from me, Bella? I'm your best friend. You're supposed to tell your best friend when you're in love with someone –"

"Whoa!" Bella interrupted, panicking just slightly. "Time out, Tink. There's no 'in love' here. At all. So you can get that idea out of your head right now." The gaze Alice leveled on Bella was unnerving in its intensity, and she couldn't help but squirm under the scrutiny. "What? There isn't! Alice, I promise. I'm not in love with Edward – or anyone else for that matter."

"Okay, fine. If you're going to nitpick semantics… How long have you been 'not in love' with Edward?"

Clearly that was the most Alice was willing to give, so Bella figured she'd better take it. "I don't know," she confessed with a frustrated groan. "I guess… two years, give or take?"

She knew that was the wrong answer as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"Whore!" Alice squealed accusingly, smacking Bella's arm with surprising ferocity. "You kept this from me for two years?"

"I'm sorry! I didn't think there was any point. And it would've only made me self-conscious around him to admit it out loud, so it was easier to just ignore it," Bella admitted sheepishly.

Alice scooted closer and wrapped her arms around Bella, resting her head on her friend's shoulder. Short locks of spiky, dark hair tickled Bella's cheek, and she tried – unsuccessfully – to brush them aside.

"I think you're wrong," Alice said quietly. "I think he'd really like to be more than just your friend."

Shaking her head sadly, Bella slipped her arm around Alice's tiny waist. "I've seen him flirt with girls he was really interested in," she confided. "It's not how he flirts with me."

---

_Flashback_

"_Hi, Bella!"_

_She turned from where she was wiping down the back counter to find Jessica standing there, a full grin on her face. Jess wasn't one of Bella's favorite co-workers, but they certainly got along better at Java Jive than they did at school. _

"_Jess," she nodded in greeting, forcing a half smile. "You looking for next week's schedule?"_

"_Sorta," Jessica hedged. She looked around, then stepped around the counter, lowering her voice so that only Bella could hear her. "I'm here with Lauren. I knew Edward was working, and they seemed to like each other when they met last week, so I thought I'd try to play matchmaker."_

_Bella was very careful to keep her expression neutral, despite the fact that inside, she was screaming. Lauren and Edward? Edward and anyone would bother her, but Lauren of all people?_

_He could do much, much better._

_Glancing across the shop, she spotted them immediately. Lauren was sitting at one of the small tables, twirling her hair around her finger and smiling, while Edward leaned on the table, body angled towards her, his most charming smile lighting up his face._

_Bella felt ill._

_The sad truth was, Lauren was his type. She was tall, had a knock-out figure, and was classically beautiful. She was delicate and feminine and flirty, and every guy at Forks High wanted her._

"_Don't they look great together?" Jessica gushed. Bella wanted to stab her._

"_Beautiful people attract beautiful people," Bella grudgingly agreed. Yes, and then they could go on beautiful dates, and then have a beautiful wedding, buy a beautiful house, and have two-point-four beautiful children together._

"_I know," Jess sighed dreamily. "That's one of the reasons Mike and I should get together."_

_The snort of laughter erupted before Bella even knew it was coming, and she quickly tried to cover it up with a cough. The way Jessica's eyes narrowed, she figured she wasn't entirely successful._

"_Sorry," Bella apologized, patting her chest. "Something in my throat."_

"_I'm sure," the other girl sniped, which confirmed Bella's suspicions. She'd have to be more careful – or just quicker – next time._

_A trill of laughter reached them, and Bella's stomach twisted painfully at the tableau Edward and Lauren created. He was now leaning down to speak in her ear, his hand resting lightly on her back. Lauren's hand was on his forearm, her lips curled into a flirtatious smile as she looked up at him from beneath her lashes._

_The next thing Bella knew, Lauren was handing over her cell phone, and Edward was typing on the keypad, obviously entering his phone number._

_Bella swallowed hard. Edward was one of her closest friends, and __**she**__ didn't even have his number._

_She supposed that should probably tell her something._

_As he handed back the phone, he said something else that made Lauren giggle, and he beamed at her. She stood, and Edward turned to head back to the counter, but not before glancing over his shoulder at her again with another smile. Lauren grinned and waved, then headed for the door._

_That was Jessica's cue. "Hi Edward," she called sweetly, and he seemed to notice her for the first time. He smiled, and Jess tittered. "Bye Edward!"_

_With barely a sideways glance at Bella, Jess skipped off to join Lauren, and, arms linked, they slipped out the door. Disgusted with them – and with herself, for being disgusted with them in the first place – she cast a glance Edward's way. He was quietly straightening the milk station, and the private little smile on his face made Bella's heart ache. _

_Because it was Lauren who had put it there, not her._

_---_

Alice tilted her head back so she could look up at Bella. "Has it occurred to you that he thinks you're special, and that's why he doesn't flirt the same way with you?"

Bella smiled crookedly. "Special in that Olympics sorta way?"

"You mean you rode the short school bus?" Alice clarified with a small grin.

"You and I shared a seat," Bella confirmed, squeezing the arm around her friend's waist.

The two girls sat there, arms around each other, in silence for a long time, each of them lost in their own thoughts. "I still think he likes you," Alice said softly, finally breaking the silence.

"I don't doubt that he likes me," Bella clarified. "I'm just sure it's the small 'l' kind of like."

They were quiet again, and Bella could practically hear the wheels spinning in Alice's head. She was pretty sure she knew exactly the direction in which those thoughts were headed. "No. You're not allowed to meddle."

By the pout that Alice instantly flashed, Bella knew she'd been right. "But I've got such a good feeling –"

"Please, Al? Just… let things be. If something's meant to happen – which I doubt – it'll happen on its own. And if it's not? I'd rather have him as a friend than as nothing at all. So I won't risk that, okay?"

Alice's gaze searched Bella's face, and she eventually nodded. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "I just love you so much, Bella, and I want to see you happy. You _deserve_ to be happy."

Bella nodded absently, more in an effort to appease Alice, than anything. She'd heard it all before, and while she knew Alice meant well… it really didn't make Bella feel any better.

The events in this chapter, much like the previous, were never supposed to happen. However, Bella and Edward were rather insistent that I not move on until they got to play this stuff out. So this chapter will be an anomaly in this story.

How so, you wonder? Glad you asked! This will likely be the only chapter containing both Edward's and Bella's POVs (unless they stage another coup, at some point, and inform me otherwise). So while it doesn't follow the pattern I've been painstakingly establishing since Chapter 1, this chapter needed to happen. Or so I've been informed. (Stupid, pushy head people.) I hope you'll enjoy!

* * *

**_Okay, that's two updates in four days. Show me some love by clicking the little "review' button, and letting me know what you think! :)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Dude. No."

"Em," Jasper began in a calming voice, but Emmett wanted none of it.

"No fucking way. It ain't happening."

Leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest and ankles crossed, Edward observed the scene unfolding before him in silence, while trying his damndest not to laugh. It was getting harder by the second, and he tipped his fedora down over his face to hide his growing grin.

"Emmett, it's part of the costume," Jazz tried again. "Rosalie expects you to wear the whole thing. She'll kill us both if you pussy out on it."

Edward snorted at that, and bit the inside of cheek when Jasper shot him a glare. "You think you can do any better?"

Holding both hands up in surrender, Edward shook his head and clamped his mouth shut. No way was he going to try to convince Emmett to go along with the hilarity that was his part of the couples costume Rose picked out for them.

"It's Halloween. Nobody will even notice." Jasper's voice was beginning to show signs of strain. "Please, man. Just put them on."

"I'm not wearing fucking _tights_," Emmett roared, backing away from the offending item of clothing as Jasper held it out to him. The latter turned pleading eyes Edward's way.

"You know Rose'll get her way eventually," Edward added, finally coming to his friend's rescue… at the expense of his other friend's dignity. "Do you want to start the evening off with a screaming match with her, only to end up having to wear the… _leggings_ anyway? Or would you rather avoid getting on her bad side before the night even gets started?"

Emmett's glare reeked of hurt and betrayal as he stared across the room at Edward. "Not cool, dude."

Edward shrugged. "It's just the truth."

Sensing an imminent victory, Jasper nodded. "Just think of them as… really tight pants."

For a long moment, it was like an old-West stand off between Emmett and Jasper. Only Sheriff Whitlock was dressed the part, though, so it seemed fair that he eventually won.

Emmett's massive shoulders slumped in defeat. "Gimme the fucking tights," he grumbled, snatching them roughly from Jasper's hand. He stomped off down the hall, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

As soon as the coast was clear, Jasper and Edward burst out laughing.

"The poor bastard," Jasper gasped, shaking his head at Emmett's unfortunate predicament.

Edward nodded enthusiastically. "That'll teach him to let his girlfriend pick out their costumes."

"Man, I am _so_ glad Alice didn't go that route."

Edward snorted in agreement. Alice and Jasper were going out in matching saloon girl-cowboy costumes, which were _so_ much better. At least Jasper got to look relatively normal, unlike poor Prince Emmett.

As the non-couple of the group, Edward and Bella had a slightly more difficult time coming up with suitable costumes. They'd finally settled on a gangster for him and a flapper for her – complimentary costumes, but not matchy-matchy couples stuff, the implications of which Edward tried not to dwell on.

He and Bella had continued to grow closer and closer, spending virtually all their free time together, whether it was hanging out with the other four members of their little makeshift family, or just the two of them. And it was wonderful, it really was. Unfortunately, Edward was no nearer to figuring out where they stood. Their rapport was the same as ever – friendly teasing banter and flirting.

Occasionally, though, something between them seemed to shift. A certain look, a touch, a comment, and things would acquire a more serious overtone. But Bella would quickly get flustered and fire off with her trademark sarcasm, and the moment would be lost.

He had no clue how to interpret those exchanges, so for the sake of his sanity, he stopped trying.

Not that he was giving up hope. Oh no. He just needed to come up with a game plan. First step? Try to figure out if he even had a chance. Every once in a while he'd catch an expression crossing Bella's face that gave him think that maybe she felt the same way he did, but those instances were as fleeting as the others that gave him pause. If – no, _when_ – he was sure there was hope, step two would be to start the wooing. And god, but he'd have to step up his game. Bella wasn't like any other girl he'd ever been interested in, and he knew the same tired old moves would cause him to crash and burn in spectacular fashion.

But he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

The girls arrived only a few minutes late, and considering they'd had costumes to fuss with, that was pretty impressive. They looked fantastic, all three of them, but unsurprisingly it was Bella who stood out the most to Edward.

He tried to look at her objectively, he really did. She wasn't a knockout like Rosalie, or even as stunningly pretty as Alice. But in his eyes, Bella was the most beautiful girl in the room. And when she smiled shyly at him, rolling her eyes as her cheeks flushed in obvious self-consciousness over her costume, his breath caught in his throat.

He was in so deep it wasn't even funny.

Things were in full swing when the group arrived at the all-ages club hosting the biggest U Dub Halloween party. It was near impossible not to laugh at Emmett as he tried to hide behind Rose, hoping the short skirt of her Sexy Sleeping Beauty costume would keep people from noticing him in the boots, tights, and too-short tunic of Prince Phillip. He was also doing an admirable job of wrapping his cape around himself, muttering all the while about evil blonds and wanting his balls back.

Alice immediately dragged Jasper out on the dance floor, and Edward knew that was the last he'd see of them for a while. Rosalie and Bella headed over to the bar to grab drinks, leaving the two E-boys alone.

"I fucking hate Halloween," Emmett grumbled as a pair of girls dressed as… well, it wasn't entirely clear what they dressed as, but they certainly didn't have the figures to pull off whatever it was. Regardless, they walked by and giggled at his costume.

Edward shook his head in sympathy. "Sorry, man. Your woman, your funeral."

"You suck," Emmett said with an expression far too much like a pout for Edward's liking.

"Dude, don't look at me like that. With you dressed like that, people are gonna think you're my bitch, and we're having a fight." Edward started laughing before he even finished speaking – the way Emmett's face morphed from sad to horrified was just too funny.

As if to prove the point, Rose chose that moment to waltz up to them, quirking one perfectly manicured blond eyebrow. "What's wrong, boys? Lovers' spat?"

Edward just kept laughing, and Emmett looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him. As Rosalie handed them their drinks, Edward realized she'd returned alone. "Where's Bella?"

"Over there somewhere," Rose replied, waving in the general direction of the bar, "talking to some guy."

_Oh, __**hell**__ no._

It took a tremendous amount of effort on Edward's part to not go barreling through the crowd after Bella, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her off. Fortunately, it seemed Emmett and Rose were too preoccupied with each other to notice his instant change in demeanor.

Casually, Edward moved a bit away from his friends, scanning the crowd for Bella. It took him a few passes, in part because he was looking for a familiar head of long wavy hair, rather than the short, straight, bob-cut wig she was wearing as part of her costume. But sure enough, he found her. He positioned himself against a wall where he had a clear line of sight, and watched the way Bella interacted with the guy dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow.

They were leaning towards each other when they spoke, but whether that was to be heard over the music or because they wanted to be closer to each other, Edward couldn't tell. Bella laughed at something he said, and he grinned in response, lightly touching her bare arm. Edward actually felt a growl rumble through his chest as the pirate reached out and touched her wig, letting his fingers linger where it curved around her face. The only thing that kept Edward from flying across the room and breaking the guy's arm was the surprising lack of color in Bella's cheeks. Why wasn't she blushing at the attention, the blatant flirting? Was it because she was interested, or because she wasn't?

In the long run, it didn't matter. The simple truth was Edward hated that some random guy was standing so close to her, casually touching her as if he had the god given right – and Bella was letting him. It was like a punch to Edward's gut.

**--- **

_Flashback_

_Sometimes before their evening shifts, Edward would get to Java Jive early and meet Bella in the parking lot so they could detox from the school day before having to put on their smiley faces for the customers. He'd started looking forward to that time with Bella, just the two of them sitting in the bed of her truck and not having to worry about doing anything other than talking._

_And that's what they were doing, perched side by side on the tailgate and chatting, when an unfamiliar car pulled into the lot, parking far closer to Bella's truck than was necessary. _

_Bella looked like she was about to bolt as a dopey looking blond guy climbed out and strolled towards them. Arching an eyebrow at her questioning, Edward waited for her to explain what was wrong, but she just groaned and shook her head slightly._

"_Bella," he greeted with a wide smile, folding his arms over the side of the truck bed. _

"_Mike," she replied, her voice monotone._

_Edward bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking. Suddenly the situation was pretty clear, and he had a feeling he was going to enjoy the show. He knew it was wrong to take pleasure in Bella's discomfort, and she'd probably kick his ass for it later, but it was priceless. Hell, this might even be better than all those times with Jake. That kid couldn't take a hint to save his life. He'd come in a few times since Edward had made Bella aware of Jake's mad crush on her, shadowing her around the shop as she did her job. He had that eager puppy look about him, which was kind of cute in a pathetic kind of way. _

_It had been hilarious, and Edward had tormented her with it mercilessly._

_The guy, Mike, shot Edward an appraising glance, nodded the typical guy greeting, and then turned his attention back to Bella. "Can I, uh, maybe talk to you for a sec?" He tilted his head in a way that Edward was sure the kid thought was charming, indicating the far side of the lot. Obviously he wanted Bella to join him for a more private chat._

"_You're talking to me now," she replied bluntly, not budging. Good girl._

"_Bella. Babe." Edward bristled at the term of endearment, suddenly not finding the situation as amusing. This guy was acting far too familiar with Bella, and he didn't like it one bit. _

"_C'mon, don't be like that," Mike tried again, smile still firmly in place, even though Bella's eyes narrowed slightly. "Just a couple of minutes, that's all I'm asking." _

_She shook her head a folded her arms across her chest. Edward wondered how stupid the guy had to be not to understand her very obvious body language. "Nope, sorry. It'd be rude, right Cullen?"_

_The use of his last name was clearly on purpose, because Mike turned his attention to Edward instantly. "Port Angeles football team? That Cullen?"_

_Smirking, Edward nodded. He wasn't sure if Bella's plan had been to simply distract Mike, or to use her obvious familiarity with the famous Edward Cullen as a tool of intimidation. He didn't care. He was just amused by the tactic, since she herself had always been so utterly unimpressed with his reputation. "Yeah, that's me."_

_Mike seemed to consider this for a moment, then shrugged and turned back to Bella. "Okay, we'll talk here," he grinned. "Go out with me Friday night. Dinner, a movie… you name it, we'll do it."_

_Edward felt his right hand close into a tight fist, the urge to punch Mike in his smug little face almost overwhelming. This guy was a joke. He wasn't anywhere near good enough for Bella. How could he possibly be delusional enough to think he stood a chance with her?_

_Bella sighed tiredly and rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to say 'no' before you'll get it through your thick fucking skull that I'm not going to go out with you? Ever."_

"_I know the game, Bells," he said in a tone Edward was pretty sure was meant to be smooth. "You're just playing hard to get. You want me to catch you, you know you do."_

_A muscle in Edward's tightly clenched jaw twitched._

_A snort of laughter was her only response before she closed her eyes and rubbed the crinkled spot between her eyes. "I'm not playing a game. I've told you that I don't know how many times. You're a nice guy, but, as the book says, I'm just not that into you, Mike. Ask Jessica out. She'd hop into the backseat of your car in a heartbeat."_

_Mike rolled his eyes. "I'm not asking you out just to get you in my backseat." Edward noticed that the kid had qualified that with 'just', rather than denying it completely. Of course Mike wanted to get her in his backseat. He was a teenage boy, and Edward knew from first-hand experience that the primary objective when asking out a girl was that the date would end in sex. Or at least in the rounding of a few bases. Hell, he was probably thinking about her naked at that very moment, imagining the things they could do together in the privacy of his car. Fucker. Now Edward really wanted to pound him. "And I'm not interested in Jess."_

"_Right! So you see where I'm coming from!" Bella exclaimed, thinking that she'd finally found a way to make him see the light. "You're my Jessica Stanley."_

"_You know that's not true," he started, clearly possessing no sense of self-preservation. It looked like Bella was about to step forward and beat him senseless. _

_She'd have to race Edward for the pleasure. He'd had enough. It was time to step in._

_Casually, Edward draped his arm around her shoulders – in part to keep them both from killing the moron, and partly to making things look believable. "Mike, is it?" He didn't bother waiting for a reply. "Look Mike, Bella's trying to let you down easy, without embarrassing you, but you're making it damn near impossible for her. She won't go out with you Friday because she's going out with me." He left it purposely vague, so Mike could interpret that whichever way he chose – that Bella was going out with Edward on Friday, or just that she was going out with him, period. Either way, hopefully he'd get the hint and back the hell off._

_Mike's eyes went wide and his gaze flitted between Edward and Bella, who had leaned into Edward's side and was forcing a smile at the idiot. Edward was very aware of how nice she felt against him like that, her arm slung around his waist, thumb hooked in one of his belt loops. _

"_Wait… you mean, you and __**Cullen**__?"_

_Bella nodded, eyes exaggeratedly apologetic. "Afraid so. Sorry, Mike."_

_The kid was clearly crushed. He looked like Bella had just run over his puppy. Actually, like she ran it over, backed up, and ran it over again. It was so pathetic, Edward almost felt sorry for him._

_Almost._

_Hands up defensively, Mike shook his head at Edward. "Sorry, man. I had no idea. Wasn't trying to –"_

"_Steal my girl?" Edward offered helpfully, a pleasant (with only slightly menacing undertones) smile on his face._

"_Um, yeah. No! I mean, I wasn't…," flustered, he trailed off and hung his head slightly, looking up at Bella sheepishly. "See you at school."_

_Mike headed for his car, and quickly climbed inside. Still clearly confused, he glanced out the window at Bella and Edward, then gunned the engine and peeled out of the lot. Edward didn't move his arm until Mike's car was out of sight._

_And he realized he didn't __**want**__ to move it._

_Bella slumped sideways dramatically, burying her face against Edward's chest. "Shoot me. Please."_

_Edward laughed and rubbed her back lightly. "Does that happen a lot with that guy?"_

_Nodding, she growled. "Constantly. Since my first day at school. He actually is a pretty nice guy, underneath his tragic and laughable ladies' man attitude, but doesn't know how to take a fucking hint." Bella took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and smiled up at Edward. The look on her face did uncomfortable things to his brain, making him feel slightly woozy. "Thank you. Maybe now he'll back off. And if he does, I'll owe you. Big time." _

_He mentally shook himself, forcing these new thoughts of Bella out of his mind. "I'll remember that," he promised with a suggestive wink. Bella rolled her eyes and shoved him away. _

_"Ass," she muttered, but the way her lips kept tugging upwards told him she wasn't really offended. _

"_So I've met Jacob and now Mike. How many other guys are falling all over themselves for your attention? Have they formed a club? The Bella Sawn Admiration Society, or something?" He kept his tone light, teasing, but the question was completely serious. He didn't like to think there were guys out there, guys she saw every single day, who wanted her. Or worse yet, who __**she**__ wanted. The knot in his gut was an unfamiliar one, but he was immediately able to give it a name._

_Jealousy._

"_Cullen –"_

"_Swan," he volleyed back with a smirk._

_"You're the one with groupies, not me," she pointed out, and Edward felt instantly contrite. She was right, in a way – he really did have a lot of girls vying for his attention. At school and work, at the hospital where his dad worked... pretty much everywhere he went with any regularity. And since he liked the attention (and the various... perks), he encouraged them, even if he wasn't interested. _

_All of a sudden, he didn't like himself very much. _

_To Edward's relief (and amusement), Bella sighed and blushed, shaking her head. "No, just Mike," she admitted. "And he's more than enough for me to deal with, thank you very much. I don't need or want anyone else being that annoying."_

_Well, that was… good, he supposed. He could absolutely understand why Mike The Clueless Wonder bugged her, and how Jacob's near-obsessive puppy love could get on her nerves (regardless of whether or not she was willing to admit that's what it was). _

"_What about you, then?" Edward wondered casually. "You got your eye on anyone?"_

_Almost predictably, Bella snorted and rolled her eyes. Looking out towards the street and pointedly avoiding his curious look, she turned even redder before shaking her head in the negative. _

_He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. _

**---**

He'd lost track of how long he'd been standing there, watching Bella and her pirate friend talk and laugh. All he knew was that with each and every touch, no matter how minor, Edward's desire to beat the living crap out Captain Jack grew. He was so distracted by the show that he didn't notice he suddenly had company.

"Turn that frown upside down, sunshine," Alice chirped at him. "What's put that sad look your pretty little face?" Standing on her toes to peer over the heads of the party-goers, her lips formed a perfect little "o" when she spotted Bella and the pirate. Her mouth snapped shut and her face took on an almost pained look.

"Any idea who he is?" Edward wondered, only taking his eyes off Bella long enough to glance at Alice.

She hedged slightly, which worried him. "I can't tell for sure, but I _think_ it's a guy from her short story class. James, or something like that."

The fact that Alice knew his name didn't sit well with Edward. If she'd never seen him before, it would likely mean Bella didn't know him very well, and certainly didn't spend any time with him outside of class. But now, he had to wonder. And worry.

Alice was shifting restlessly from one foot to the other, biting her lip and looking conflicted. "What's wrong?"

Wide grey eyes looked up at him, and he could see she was warring with herself over something. It almost looked like she was in physical pain, she was so unsettled. "I can't," she whimpered almost to herself, shaking her head.

"Can't what?" Edward was confused now. "Alice, what's going on?"

Her face contorted and she shook her head with a slight whimper. "I can't tell you," she burst out.

"Can't tell me what?" Confused had turned to worried, and he watched as Alice's gaze flickered back to Bella. "Is it something about Bella?"

Alice bit her lip – a mannerism he suspected she'd picked up from Bella over the years – but said nothing. Which he interpreted as confirmation that it was, indeed, about her.

"Alice, if it's something about Bella, I need to know," he pleaded. "Please. Is it something bad?"

She shook her head.

"Okay then… What, is it something about her and that James guy?"

Alice didn't move, and Edward's stomach knotted.

"So is she… seeing him, or something?" He tried to sound casual, but inside he felt like he was dying a little bit.

"No," Alice said, surprisingly firm in her insistence. "No, Bella is _not_ dating James. Or anybody else." She paused for a moment, and suddenly she took on a decidedly devious expression. "For now, anyway. Because there are tons of really good-looking guys around campus, so it probably won't be too much longer before some lucky guy snaps her up."

Edward tried not to scowl – and failed miserably.

"So if _someone_ was interested in her," Alice continued, giving him a pointed look, "he'd be smart to step up and make her realize he wanted a shot with her."

Edward simply stared at Alice for a moment, as he turned that over in his mind. Alice was usually about as subtle as a baseball bat to the head. So if she meant what he thought she meant…

"Are you telling me that… _someone_ might have a chance?" He was trying not to get too excited, in case he'd completely misunderstood.

Alice shrugged, her steady gaze belying the casualness of her posture. "No, I'm most definitely not _telling_ you anything. At all." His brow furrowed slightly at her strange reaction, and Alice gave him a withering look he suspected he was somehow magically supposed to understand. "We're simply having a nice, casual conversation about our mutual friend, and I'm mentioning, in passing, that there's a possibility I may have reason to believe she might not be completely opposed to the idea of going out with _someone_." Cocking her head, she glanced back at where Bella was still talking to the James guy. He'd moved even closer, and by his body language, it was obvious he wanted her. Badly. "But if _someone_ doesn't do something, and soon, he may just miss his chance."

And with a sudden and impish grin, Alice turned and skipped off towards where Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were dancing.

Edward was trying very hard to reconcile what he believed he'd just been told, with what he'd thought he knew before his conversation with Alice. It was clear to him that she was encouraging him to pursue Bella. But the why of it wasn't quite as obvious to him. Alice had been very cryptic, so he didn't know if she_ knew _something, if she simply _suspected_, or if she just _hoped _that Bella might be interested in him in return.

Knowing Alice, though, Edward strongly suspected she knew more than she was telling him. Which, with any luck, meant she had reasonable evidence to support her belief that Bella would go out with him.

As that thought sank in, a slow, stupid grin spread across Edward's face. Step one of his plan – figure out if he might have a chance? He was going to give that one a "check".

Time to implement step two: wooing Bella.

He knew he'd have to give that some careful – and creative – consideration before really _doing_ anything, but that didn't mean he had to sit back do _nothing_ in the meantime.

Suddenly feeling considerably less homicidal towards Pirate James, Edward added his glass to a table filled with empties, and wove his way through the crowd. Bella seemed to sense his approach, because just as he was breaking through the last line of people separating them, she looked right at him, and graced him with her genuine, happy smile. He smiled back, and, unable to resist, glanced over at James. He looked decidedly unimpressed to have someone move in on his pick-up attempt.

Settling one hand on the warm, soft, bare skin of Bella's upper back, he reached out to James with the other. "Edward," he introduced himself with a confident smile. For a moment, it looked like James was going to reject the outstretched hand, but he relented and replied with a grunt of his own name.

Edward fought back a smirk, and shifted his weight slightly so that he was leaning closer to Bella. It was a subtle change, but enough that James got the hint.

"I'm going to go track down some people," he told Bella with a smile that Edward thought seemed vaguely predatory, but that most women probably thought was simply charming. "I'll see you Tuesday." Bella smiled and waved as he backed away, and Edward grinned as James disappeared into the sea of people.

Standing on her toes, Bella balanced herself with a hand on his shoulder so she could speak into his ear. "Where've you been hiding?"

"Why, did you miss me?" Edward asked with a teasing smile.

And_ there_ was that blush he loved so much. _Take that, James!_

"Don't flatter yourself, Cullen," she warned.

"No problem. I'd rather flatter you, anyway," he admitted seriously, though Bella clearly thought he was still kidding around.

No better time than the present for laying the groundwork for Operation: Woo Bella.

The hand still resting on her back slid up until his finger tips were able to stroke the skin at the base of her neck. His touch was feather-light, and Bella shivered. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight. The costume is perfect for you." Gently he reached up and brushed some stray strands from her wig off her face. "But as sexy as this Velma Kelly style is, I miss your real hair."

Cheeks flaming even more than before, Bella's eyebrows shot up in amusement as she, predictably enough, deflected. "Do you know the names of _all_ the characters in _Chicago_?"

Well. Didn't that backfire nicely?

Because, embarrassingly enough, he _did_ know the names of the characters in _Chicago_. He also knew most of the score by heart. His mom loved musicals, so he grew up with them. As a result, he was a fountain of useless information on the subject. He just didn't usually admit it.

"Tell anyone, Swan, and I'll deny it," he grumbled in mock-annoyance. "Then I'll tell them something embarrassing about _you_. And _then_ I'll kick your ass."

"You've got nothin' on me," Bella scoffed, then deftly swiped the hat off Edward's head.

"Hey!" Edward was torn between trying to retrieve the fedora, and covering what he was sure must be an absolutely horrific case of hat-head. As the hat thief scurried backwards and out of reach, his decision was made for him. His hands flew to his head and ran through his gelled-back hair. Between the product that had been used to tame his unruly mop and the sweat that had formed from wearing the hat for so long in the warm club, it was flexible. A few passes of his hands and he figured it was probably back to its normal, messy 'do. "You fight dirty," he complained half-heartedly. He couldn't not smile, though, as Bella perched the hat on her own head. It was too big and slid down over her eyes.

She looked adorable.

"You've got a massive head," she informed him, pushing the fedora back so she could see. "Has anyone ever told you that?"

Pursing his lips in amusement, Edward cocked his head and quirked an eyebrow at her. He knew she didn't mean it like that, but...

It took her about three seconds to realize where he'd taken that question. "Ah! Pig!" She smacked him with the hat, narrowly avoiding him as he lunged for it. "Nuh-uh. It's mine now, Cullen." Placing the fedora back on her head, she titled it jauntily and grinned. "C'mon, Mr. Flynn. Let's go razzle dazzle 'em... and they'll never catch wise."

Okay, she was making fun of him for knowing the characters' names in _Chicago_, but Bella was quoting song lyrics. Nice double standard.

Edward moved so quickly that Bella didn't have a chance to escape. One arm wrapped around her waist, holding her still, and the other reached up to reclaim his hat. He laughed at the open-mouthed look of surprise she'd turned on him. "You're a brat, Swan. You know that, don't you?"

Her lips quirked in a dangerous little smirk. "Would you rather I start singing _Cell Block Tango_?"

"Awww, you'd never shoot, poison, or stab me, Bella, would you?" With his best lost puppy dog face, he slung his arm around her shoulders and began guiding her towards the last place he'd seen their friends. He smiled victoriously as her arm worked its way around his waist.

"Hmmm. Probably not with this many witnesses around," she quipped. Poking him in his side hard enough to distract him, Bella slipped from under his arm and snagged the hat again. Then with a wicked grin in parting, she bolted. Edward was in hot pursuit.

In more ways than one.

* * *

**_So there you have it - Alice figured out a way to meddle without actually meddling. Go Alice! _**

**_If you're enjoying the story so far, please show me some love! My ego is delicate, and I need the encouragement. ;-)_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

There was absolutely no doubt in Bella's mind that her professors were sadists.

In the weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving, the amount of work they piled on was ridiculous. And to add insult to injury, Bella had a re-scheduled mid-term for the day before Thanksgiving – for 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Which meant she'd be holding up Edward, who was generously playing chauffeur for her since her original road-trip partner, Alice, decided to go to Texas for the holiday to meet Jasper's parents.

Fortunately, it was a relatively easy exam, so Bella was actually back in her dorm and mostly packed by the time 7:00 rolled around. She hauled her overnight case and duffle bag full of dirty laundry down to the parking lot to wait for her ride.

It was cold and misty and drizzly, so, cursing her lack of gloves, she stuffed her hands in her pockets as she hunched up her shoulders to try to keep the cold at bay. Her damp ponytail was hanging limply down her back, strands sticking to her cheek as the wind whipped it around. She watched, lost in thought, as water beaded on the water-proof canvas of her bags.

She was actually looking forward to the trip. Because of their crazy schedules, Bella hadn't seen nearly as much of Edward as she would've liked over the past few weeks. And when they did see each other, nine times out of ten it was for a group get-together of some kind or another. So having him to herself for the better part of the three and a half hours each way sounded pretty good to her.

Dangerous and a test of her self-control, considering they'd be stuck in such a confined space together, but good nonetheless.

Of course, Edward had been testing her self-control a lot lately. If she wasn't so certain it was completely unintentional on his part, she'd accuse him of purposely torturing her. He invaded her personal space more than ever before – and he'd never been particularly respectful of it to begin with. It seemed like he touched her more often, and for more random reasons, and he often appeared more affectionate than teasing.

He'd also upped the flirting.

Sure, they kept up the same old banter most of the time, but with increasing frequency, Edward would side-swipe her with something that left her completely flustered and wondering if it were possible he could be serious. She'd discount the possibility almost immediately, of course, but then it would happen again, and she'd be left wondering.

She'd hate him for it, if she didn't know he was absolutely clueless as to the sort of havoc he was wreaking on her.

Bella was pulled from her reverie as a car drew to a stop in front of her. Before she could even pick up her bags, Edward was around to the passenger side and opening her door for her.

"You're getting soaked," he chastised gently. "Get in. I'll worry about your bags."

Before she could protest, Edward was gently guiding her into the passenger seat, and she relented, knowing there was no point in arguing with him. Gratefully, she sank into the overly comfortable leather seat (only briefly worrying that her jacket would ruin it – she knew Edward didn't care), and held her hands over the heaters.

Oh. _Oooooooh._ He even had her seat warmer on, so it was nice and toasty for her poor, cold bum.

Edward was officially her hero.

Speaking of whom, the hero in question opened his door, shaking his head like a wet a dog before shutting the door. His hair was spiky and darkened by the rain, looking more brown than the reddish-blondish-brownish color it normally was. She couldn't help but notice that the darker hair made his light eyes absolutely pop.

It was completely unfair for a man to be so good looking. Truly.

"Why didn't you wait inside where it was warm?" Edward asked as he put the car in gear and pulled out of the lot.

Bella shrugged. "Figured it would just be easier if I came out here."

Reaching over, he wrapped one of his hands around both of hers, which were still in front of the heating vent. "Fuck, Bella, your hands are like ice. Where are your gloves?"

"Jeez, _Dad_," she grumbled with an eye-roll, "I'm sorry. I just didn't think it would be as cold as it is." He held her hands in front of the heater, rubbing them as best he could with one hand. Bella smiled over at him, amused by his worrying. "Thanks for turning the seat warmer on, by the way. It's by far my favorite thing about your car."

Edward grinned at her in that annoying way that made her stomach flutter. "It's the least I could do. You deserve to travel in style, Miss Swan."

At some point, and Bella wasn't sure when, exactly, she'd proven just how crummy a road trip companion she was by falling asleep.

A gentle caress on her cheek slowly roused her from sleep. Eyes fluttering open to see Edward's smiling face far too close for comfort, his hand still raised and stroking her cheek. Blearily, she looked around, realizing with surprise that they were already at her dad's house.

Bella flushed guiltily. "God, I'm so sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to sleep the whole way."

"Don't worry about it," he assured her with a crooked smile as he leaned back, dropping his hand to the console between them. "You were in a chatty mood while you napped, so I was kept entertained."

"Oh god," she groaned, letting her head fall back against the head-rest, and Edward started to laugh. Really, she didn't even want to know what he might've heard, though the more masochistic part of her wanted to know if she'd said anything too horribly embarrassing.

"It's adorable, Bella, really," Edward tried to reassure her, though his continued laughter wasn't helping. "Don't be embarrassed."

"You'd tell me if I said anything incriminating, right?"

"No way," he grinned widely. "Some things are just too good to share."

Bella groaned again and leaned forward, thumping her forehead against the dashboard. That was confirmation enough that she'd said things that were likely best left unsaid. She just hoped she'd managed not to say anything about him, or how she felt about him. That was more mortification than she could handle.

Still laughing, Edward reached over and rubbed her back. She shot him a dirty look for his trouble before peering out the windshield again. Charlie's cruiser wasn't there, and there were no lights on in the house, but she wasn't surprised – she knew he had to work the late shift tonight. Only her poor truck was in the driveway, looking all forlorn in its solitude.

"Is that thing still running?"

Bella huffed indignantly. "Yes, that _thing_ is still running," she informed him. She_ loved_ her truck. She was very protective of her truck. He knew better than to make fun of her truck, on penalty of death. "We thought the drive to Seattle might be a little much for it, and I didn't think I'd really need it there, anyway, so I left it here. Now I at least have something to drive whenever I come home."

"I'm sure it's as reliable as ever," he said dryly, and she made a face at him.

---

_Flashback_

_Sitting in the cab of her beloved truck, Bella crossed her fingers as she put her key in the ignition and cranked it. Nothing. Not even the sick, sad choking sound it had been making the past few weeks._

_Ever since her Chevy decided to start pitching a fit more often than not, Edward had tasked himself with waiting in the Java Jive parking lot until it seemed like she should be able to get home okay. This was the first time it had completely played dead, though. _

_Well, the first time this month. _

_Shaking his head in bemusement, Edward opened her door for her. "What's the plan?"_

"_Alice," she admitted with a sigh. "Jake's up in Vancouver for the week, so I don't have a mechanic on call."_

"_Why would you call Alice?"_

"_So she can drive me home," Bella explained, though she'd have thought that would be fairly obvious. "And to beg her to pick me up tomorrow morning. I do __**not**__ want to show up for school in my dad's cruiser."_

_Edward grinned. "Make you feel conspicuous, or something?"_

"_Or something," she grumbled in agreement. Attention bothered her at the best of times, but when the town's police chief drove you to school, the attention was pretty much unavoidable._

"_Call Alice about tomorrow morning, but I can drive you home now," Edward offered, motioning with his chin to his pretty silver Volvo._

_Bella arched an eyebrow at him and shook her head. "It's out of your way."_

"_I have to drive through town to get home anyway," he pointed out with a shrug._

"_Yeah, but my house is in the opposite direction," she informed him. "I'll just call Alice, it's no big deal –"_

"_Swan, stop fucking arguing and just get in the damn car," Edward ordered with a laugh, holding open the passenger door for her._

_She scowled at him, but complied, making sure she locked her poor truck behind her._

_Not that anyone would be able to steal it, even if they wanted to._

"_You're a bossy asshole, Cullen. Anyone ever tell you that before?"_

"_Maybe a couple of times," he admitted guilelessly, grinning as he shut the door for her. She watched as he went around to the driver's side, admiring his profile in the semi-darkness. She tore her eyes away as he climbed into the car, and turned it on. It purred like a freakin' kitten._

_Fucking Edward and his fucking new car. Well, okay, maybe not __**new**__-new, but it was only a couple of years old, so brand-spankin' new compared to her antique truck. _

"_You should talk to your dad about getting a more reliable car. Or truck. Just some kind of more reliable form of transportation," he mused aloud, ignoring the death glare Bella shot at him._

"_I love that truck," she informed him._

_He just chuckled as he reached the parking lot exit. "So where am I going?" _

"_Left," she grumbled._

_Edward glanced over at her, his smirk looking slightly demonic in the glow from his dashboard. "You really hate asking people for help, don't you?" Bella simply arched an eyebrow at him in a silent "duh". He laughed, shaking his head. "What's wrong with friends helping friends out?"_

_Shrugging, Bella tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Take the next right," she instructed. "Nothing's wrong with it. I just don't like depending on other people."_

_He was quiet for a moment, only the music from his iPod filling the car, and she thought he was going to let it drop. Silly her._

"_You rely on Jake to fix your truck when it conks out, and you have no problem calling Alice for a ride," Edward pointed out quietly, eyes on the road. "So why's it so hard for you to let me help you?"_

"_Turn right at the stop sign," Bella murmured, trying to figure out how to answer his question. How could she explain that she hated having to count on anyone for anything? That she was used to being the responsible one, acting like more of a dependable parent to her mother than Renée ever was with her? How could she tell him she wanted to be able to rely on him, but she was afraid to let herself, because she was sure, at some point, he'd let her down when she needed him?_

_She finally settled on a version of the truth. "I've known them a lot longer. I mean, god. I've known Jake since we were little, and Alice has been my best friend since my first day at Forks High, and it still took me a long time to feel comfortable asking them for anything."_

_Edward's brow furrowed slightly, and Bella looked away, turning to peer out her window at the dark of the woods beyond the road's dirt shoulder. "Take the next left. It's the fourth house down, on the right." _

_Silently, Edward guided the car into the driveway, and put it in park. Bella immediately reached for the door handle, wanting to escape. "Thanks –"_

"_You can count on me, y'know," he said suddenly, his voice quiet but strong. She looked over at him, and he was watching her intently. Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip as she shifted slightly in her seat. "I'm your friend, Bella. Please don't ever feel like you can't ask me for help." He shrugged, his lips quirking in a crooked smile. "Or for anything else. It's what friends do, right?" _

_Still worrying her lip, she dropped her gaze to the console between them. _

"_Bella?"_

_Silently, she nodded, and looked up at him with a half smile. "How 'bout I promise to try?"_

_Edward's answering grin was beautiful. "I'll take it."_

_Bella could feel her cheeks turning pink, and she was grateful for the darkness inside the car. "Just stop ragging on my truck, okay?"_

_He held up his right hand. "Scout's honor."_

"_Were you ever actually a Scout?"_

_A mischievous grin was his only reply, and Bella shook her head at his battiness. "See you Wednesday?"_

"_You know it," he confirmed. "Think you'll be up for a lesson after shift?"_

"_I'm counting on it," she quipped cheekily, opening the door and sliding out. Before Edward could reply, she closed it again and jogged towards the house. He didn't back out of the driveway until she was safely inside._

---

Releasing her seatbelt, Bella reached for the door handle. "Thanks so much Ed–"

Before she could finish, he was out of the car and heading for the trunk. Really, she should've known better than to think he'd let her haul her crap up to the door herself. Climbing out, she stretched, enjoying the feel of the crisp air on her skin, after being cooped up in the car for so long. Edward shut the trunk with a soft thud, and, bags in hand, walked with her to the front door. Knowing better than to try to shoo him off before he got her bags inside, Bella stood on her toes and reached above the door, snagging the spare key.

"I still can't believe your dad of all people leaves a key out in such an obvious place," Edward chuckled.

Shrugging, Bella unlocked the door and pushed it open. "I guess he figures nobody would be dumb enough to break into the house of the Chief of Police."

Which was probably true enough.

Stepping inside, she flicked on both the porch and front hall light, and Edward set her bags down at the foot of the stairs. "You gonna be okay here alone until your dad gets home?"

Bella gave him an incredulous look. "Tell me you didn't really just ask me that."

A sheepish smile curled Edward's lips, and he ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, sorry," he chuckled. "Forget I said anything."

He looked tired, and Bella felt guilty. He now had to back-track about 40 minutes to get home, and she was worried he'd fall asleep driving.

"Do you want some coffee or something, before you head back out?" Bella offered.

Edward hesitated, looking torn, before finally shaking his head. "My mom'll worry if I'm too late," he admitted with a roll of his eyes. "I'd better just get home."

Bella nodded, still feeling guilty, and followed him out onto the porch.

"Thanks again, Edward," she told him with a smile. "I really appreciate the ride – especially since this is so out of the way for you."

Smiling back, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "If it's for you, nothing's out of my way," he told her, and once again her mind went reeling in confusion. Stepping forward, he wrapped her in a tight hug, and she couldn't do anything but hug him back. As he released her, he kissed her forehead.

"Have a good Thanksgiving, Bella. And if you need a break from the turkey and football games, give me a call."

With a final brush of his fingers against her cheek, Edward hopped down the steps and jogged back to his car. He turned and waved, then climbed inside. Bella stood on the porch until he'd pulled out of the driveway, and waved as he disappeared down the street.

The next morning, Bella padded downstairs, ready to start preparing everything for dinner while Charlie continued to saw logs. A note was attached to the fridge.

_**Bells,**_

_**One of my guys is sick. I'm covering his shift tonight. Sorry, kiddo, changing dinner to tomorrow. The Blacks and Clearwaters are coming.**_

_**Dad**_

_**P.S. The turkey'll keep, won't it?**_

Shaking her head with a chuckle, Bella scribbled a reply to Charlie, assuring him that yes, the turkey would be just fine (she knew he'd only bought it the day before). And now she suddenly found herself with a day to do absolutely nothing… and she had no idea what to do. Watching TV was out, because it liable to be nothing but football and parades. She knew any of her old friends who happened to be in town for the holidays would be busy with family.

She was on her own.

Trudging back upstairs, Bella decided to take the opportunity to curl up with book. She hadn't had a chance to read just for the sake of reading since before starting college.

Bella was about halfway through one of her guilty pleasures, the latest Stephen King book, when her phone began playing 'Razzle Dazzle'. Scurrying off the bed, she dug through her bag until she found her phone, hoping she could answer it before it kicked in to voicemail. And she really had to change that ringtone. She hadn't changed it since Halloween, and the joke was getting old.

"Hey," she breathed with relieved smile as she caught it in time.

"Hey yourself," Edward chuckled. "What, did you have to run for your phone?"

"Pretty much," Bella admitted, perching on the edge of her bed. "It was buried in my bag, had to dig for it."

"Speaking of things in your bag, have you noticed that you're missing something?"

His tone was leading, so she knew that, obviously, something must've fallen out in his car. She crossed the room and snagged her bag again, dumping the contents out on her bed.

"Um…," Bella sifted through everything, her brow furrowing, "I don't think so…"

"Oh, really?" Edward's laugh let her know that she was obviously wrong. "Hmmm, nice driver's license photo, Swan. You look very… pissed off."

"Oh, hell," she grumbled. "My wallet. Too obvious, I guess."

His warm chuckle made her smile. "I found it half under your seat when I got home. Do you want me to drop it off for you, or are you going nuts making dinner?"

"I'm not planning on going anywhere I'd need my wallet. And no, I'm being lazy," she told him. "My dad has to work tonight, so we've moved dinner to tomorrow."

"Bella, please tell me you're not spending one of the biggest family holidays alone." She could _hear_ his frown. It was very amusing.

"I am, and it's fine," she assured him. "I've done it before. Hell, I've even spent Christmas alone a couple of times. I'll be fine. It's no big deal, Edward."

"Be ready in two hours."

Bella blinked. "What?"

"I'm picking you up in two hours, and you're having Thanksgiving dinner with us."

"Um, no. I'm really not," she protested. "I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I'm not crashing your family dinner."

"There are going to be so many people here, one more won't make any difference at all," he assured her in a tone that was leaving very little room to argue. "Besides, my parents really want to meet you. They were hoping I'd bring you by before we headed back on Sunday."

His parents wanted to meet her? But… "Why would they want to meet me?" Bella wondered aloud.

Again, he chuckled, and it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket. "Because you're important to me," he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and Bella's heart skipped a beat. Or three.

"Please, Bella? You'll be doing me a favor by coming. You'll save me from having to spend the whole afternoon playing Hungry, Hungry Hippos with my cousins."

Bella smirked, and it came through in her voice. "Hungry, Hungry Hippos?"

"Don't mock, Swan." Edward was clearly amused now, too. "My parents kept all the board games from when I was little. They think video games cause brain damage, so they refuse to have a console in the house."

"I used to kick ass at Hungry, Hungry Hippos," she told him smugly, causing him to laugh.

"Does that mean you'll come?" His voice was so hopeful that she just couldn't say no.

"Yeah, I'll come."

"Thank you," he told her, and she knew he was grinning. "Um, it's sorta, kinda dressy, so…"

Bella winced. Great. "Right. So no jeans?"

"No jeans," he confirmed. "Pretty much anything else goes, though."

Crap. Did she have anything appropriate? Flinging open her closet door, she frowned at the scant offering. She'd taken almost all of her clothes to school with her, and most of those things were in her duffle bag waiting to be washed.

Shit.

But then, near the back of her closet, she spotted something she thought might work: a full black skirt that Alice had insisted she buy for some event of another. It had been worn maybe twice, if that. She could pair it with a nice sweater, add a pair of leggings and some ballet flats, and it should be okay…

Alice might actually be proud of that outfit.

"Yeah, okay I'll figure something out," she promised. "I'll see you in a bit. And Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," Bella said softly, smiling to herself.

"Anytime, Bella. See you soon."

Knowing that Edward came from money and experiencing it firsthand were two very different things for Bella.

When they pulled up to his house, the long, winding driveway jam-packed with luxury cars, she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from gawking. It was a massive Frank-Lloyd-Wright-ish design with walls upon walls of floor to ceiling windows. And considering the view they had, it was no surprise they wanted to be able to appreciate it. Inside, the décor was modern yet welcoming, which struck Bella somewhat paradoxical, but it worked.

Once inside, Edward took her jacket and purse, hanging them in a closet that was about the size of her dorm room.

Okay, not really, but it _was_ huge.

Apparently sensing her unease, Edward took her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze before leading her up the stairs and past rooms filled with people. Releasing her hand as they reached the kitchen, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her into the room. And oh dear god, what a kitchen! Bella couldn't quite keep from gaping just a little bit. Stainless steel appliances, built-in double oven, gas range, an island long enough to comfortably sit eight… What she wouldn't give for access to a kitchen like that. God, the things she could do!

"Mom?"

It was only when Edward spoke that Bella noticed someone else was in the huge room. A very pretty woman, light brown hair pulled up in a soft, classic chignon, popped her head out of the walk-in pantry (_a walk-in pantry!!_) and simply beamed at them.

"You must be Bella," she stated, stepping out of the pantry and shutting the door behind her. A half-dozen quick steps across the room, and Bella was being pulled from under Edward's arm and engulfed in a hug. Bemused – and taken a little aback – she returned the embrace. What else could she do?

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen," Bella told the woman with a smile.

"Oh, none of that Mrs. Cullen garbage. It's just Esme." And when she was smiling at her so warmly like that, how could Bella refuse? Edward's mom surprised her yet again by cupping her face tenderly. "Edward's right. You're absolutely lovely."

Instantly, blood rushed to her face, and Bella struggled to come up with a suitable response. She assumed Edward would be just as mortified, but to her surprise, he chuckled and took her hand again.

"Mom, don't embarrass her," he told her, and Bella glanced up to see him smiling fondly as his mother. Esme winked – actually _winked_ – at her son, before turning her attention back to Bella.

"I'm so glad you could join us, Bella. We've wanted to meet you for so long."

She couldn't quite wrap her brain around that one. But Edward had told her the same thing, so... Go figure.

"Thank you very much for having me," Bella replied, hauling out her best manners. She hadn't had to use them for a while, but thankfully she remembered how to be polite and to shelve the sarcasm. Charlie would be proud.

Renée would be rolling her eyes and wondering when the real Bella had been replaced by a Stepford Daughter.

"Why don't you give Bella a tour?" Esme suggested. "Your father's probably in his study." She paused for effect, and flashed a mischievous grin. "Hiding."

Bella couldn't help but laugh at that, and Edward seemed to relax – she hadn't even realized he'd been tense. "Good idea," he agreed, giving her hand a gentle tug.

"Um," Bella began hesitantly, glancing from Edward to his mom, "if you need any help, Esme, I'd be more than happy to give you a hand. I love cooking, so…"

"Sweetheart, you're our guest," she tsked. "I'm not expecting you to help."

"I know," Bella smiled shyly. "But I'm offering."

Esme looked at her for a long moment, long enough for Bella to start fidgeting and wondering if she'd said something wrong, before breaking into a huge smile. Then Bella found herself being hugged again. "_You_ are a doll," Esme said. As she stepped back, she looked up at Edward and smirked. "I think I'll trade you in and keep Bella."

"Hey, I help!" Edward protested. His mother arched an eyebrow at him and he smiled sheepishly. "By not trying to help. You know I'd only screw up whatever you're trying to do in here. I'm hopeless in the kitchen."

"Hence the extensive collection of take-out menus in your apartment," Bella drawled with a smirk, and Esme laughed.

Edward released her hand and slipped his arm around her shoulders, clapping his hand gently over her mouth. "That tour sounds like a really good idea right about now. Later, Mom," he grinned and guided Bella from the kitchen before releasing her. Esme's laughter followed them, and Bella couldn't help but join in.

"I like your mom," she informed him with a wide smile.

"She obviously likes you, too," he mock-grumbled. He obviously wasn't really annoyed, because he took her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze. "C'mon, let's see how long we can avoid the rest of the relatives. They'll all end up loving you, too. Then they'll side with my mom and you'll become a permanent fixture around here, while I'm out on the street, playing guitar on the corner for spare change. They'll probably have you moved into my room before I'm even out the front door."

Bella rolled her eyes and bumped him with her shoulder. "God, melodramatic much, Cullen?"

He made a face at her. "Yeah, well, we'll see how you like it when your dad decides he wants to keep _me_."

The snort of laughter was out before she could stop it. "Yeah, like _that's_ ever gonna happen."

Edward made good on the tour, introducing her to random aunts, uncles, and cousins along the way. There was no way Bella would remember most of their names, but she played nice with all of them. She was incredibly impressed by the Cullen home, though. For as intimidated as she'd felt when she first saw it, by the time Edward had shown her most of it, she felt incredibly comfortable. It was grand yet homey, and Edward credited his mother's decorating skills for everything Bella complimented.

One of their last stops was the study of one Dr. Cullen. Bella had never had the pleasure of meeting the man, but figured that was only because he was fortunate enough to work at the hospital in Port Angeles rather than Forks. Otherwise, she was sure he would be embarrassingly familiar with her - and her impressive medical file as a result of countless emergency room visits.

Bella and Edward paused outside the door, and he knocked before softly calling out, "Hey Dad? You still hiding in there?"

"That depends," came the response from the other side. "Are you alone?"

Eyebrows climbing high in amusement, Bella shot Edward a smirk. "No, I'm with Bella. I wanted you to meet her."

The door was open before Edward finished his sentence, and Bella had to admit she came very close to swooning at the feet of the incredibly handsome man suddenly standing before her. It was amazing that there was no shared DNA between Edward and his father, because they had the same tall, lean physique, sharp cheekbones, and stunning eyes – though Dr. Cullen's were blue rather than green. "You should've told me that in the first place," he said, shaking his head at his son. With a welcoming smile, he took Bella's hand, shaking it and then squeezing gently in greeting. She could feel her cheeks heating as the blush appeared, right on cue. "Bella, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"You too, Dr. Cullen," she managed, proud of herself for not stammering.

"Please, call me Carlisle," he corrected, much as his wife had earlier. Finally releasing her hand, Carlisle turned and clapped Edward on the shoulder. "So! Are the two of you looking for a safe hiding spot, too?" He smiled at Bella and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Don't let Aro corner you. He likes to flirt with all the pretty young girls, and he'll just love you."

Bella was horrified that she'd very nearly tittered at Carlisle's comment. Instead, she just bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't think we've run into him yet," she confessed, glancing at Edward for confirmation.

"I'm keeping her as far away from Uncle Aro as possible," Edward confirmed with a laugh, squeezing Bella's hand. "She'd hand me my ass on a silver platter if I let him monopolize her for the rest of the night."

Apparently approving the idea, Carlisle nodded. "Glad to hear it." He smiled at Bella, and swore she heard chimes sounding as the sun broke through the clouds. "This one needs someone to keep him in line. Don't let him get away with _anything_."

"I don't," she answered at the same time as Edward said, "She doesn't." They looked at each other and burst out laughing, much to Carlisle's obvious amusement.

As the laughter subsided, Carlisle checked his watch, sighing grandly. "I suppose I should go be sociable before dinner's served," he said resignedly. "Any idea where your Aunt Kate is?"

"Last I saw, in the family room setting up the DVD player for the kids. Uncle Garrett's outside, I think, 'not having a cigarette'." Again, Edward smirked, and Bella got the distinct impression this was some long-running family joke.

"How he thinks Kate won't smell it on him, I have no idea." Carlisle sighed and shook his head. Edward stepped to the side with Bella, allowing his father to pass. "Great to finally meet you, Bella. I hope we'll see a lot more of you around here, from now on." He pointed at Edward and quirked an eyebrow at him in mock warning. "Behave and don't scare her off."

Edward rolled his eyes dramatically as his father grinned and headed off in search of Kate. "Okay, that's it, I'm taking you home. Both my parents seem to like you better than me, and I can't handle the competition."

"It's not my fault they've got such good taste," she quipped, elbowing him lightly in the ribs. "Or such a deadbeat son."

Dinner had been… an experience. Never before had she been part of such a large family get-together. Bella had remained fairly quiet, as was her way when immersed in a situation where she wasn't entirely comfortable. But she politely answered all the family's questions without embarrassing herself – or Edward.

Uncle Aro had, indeed, tried to chat her up (and she suspected he would've tried to feel her up, if she'd given him half a chance), as Carlisle had warned. The older man had chosen to pounce on her when Edward was in another room, and while she knew inherently that he was harmless, she'd been decidedly uncomfortable. Fortunately, she'd been rescued by Edward's youngest cousins, Charlotte and Felix, who, for some reason Bella simply couldn't fathom, had taken an instant liking to her and insisted she go off to play with them.

So now Bella was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of her game piece, skirt tucked demurely between her legs despite the fact that her leggings allowed for a little less discretion, smacking her lever repeatedly – but not too quickly. Charlotte and Felix were slamming theirs and squealing in excitement, and Bella was going to make sure one of them won (she was silently rooting for Charlotte, since Felix was older). Marbles scattered around the board as plastic heads shot out to capture them and pull them back into their trough. The TV was on to some random kids' show, but nobody was paying attention to it.

Once again, Felix won and he threw his little arms in the air victoriously. Charlotte pouted, but it was quickly replaced by a huge grin.

"Eddie!" Charlotte jumped up to run across the room.

Bella glanced over her shoulder to see Edward leaning in the doorway, a pained yet amused expression on his face. Charlotte took his hand and started trying to pull him further into the room. "Eddie, come play with us!"

"Yeah, _Eddie_," Bella grinned evilly. "Come play with us. It's Hungry, Hungry Hippos – your _favorite_!"

Edward narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, _Izzy_, it looks like you've got things pretty much under control."

_Oh, game __**on**__, Cullen_! Nobody called her Izzy and lived. _Nobody_!

Felix turned curious eyes towards Bella. "You said your name was Bella," he said, confused.

"It is. But Bella is actually short for _Isa_bella," Edward informed his cousin, letting Charlotte lead him to the spot at the board between her and Bella. "So _Izzy_ can be short for Isabella, too."

"Izzy," Charlotte tried the name out with a grin. "Izzy rhymes with dizzy. Dizzy Izzy!"

It was a good thing Charlotte was as cute as she was, or Bella would have been forced to silence her – possibly permanently. Instead, she glared at Edward and mouthed, 'You're dead.' A smug grin was his only reply.

"I like 'Bella' better," Felix said quietly, glancing over at her shyly. "It's pretty, just like you."

Well. It seemed she had a seven-year-old admirer. She couldn't _not_ smile at that. "Thank you, Felix," Bella told him gently, reaching out and ruffling his hair, which earned her another smile. "That's really sweet of you." She shot Edward a haughty smirk. "See? It's not just your parents. _Everybody_ loves me." Then she turned her attention back to the kids. "Are we playing again?"

They managed to get three more rounds in before their mother, Heidi, who was Esme's younger sister, came to collect them. They both whined a bit, complaining that they didn't want to leave, and Charlotte clung to Bella's waist. "Can Izzy come home with us?"

Bella gritted her teeth and shot Edward a death glare. "Only if Eddie can, too," she said sweetly.

"It's _Bella_," Felix corrected his sister, coming to Bella's rescue. She just might have to keep Felix, she mused.

Heidi simply chuckled at her children's antics. "I hope we'll see you at Christmas, Bella," she said kindly, smiling at her with eyes the same shade of hazel as Esme's. "These two will be heartbroken if we don't."

Unsure how to respond to that, Bella shrugged – the gesture was stopped by Edward's hand gently resting between her shoulder blades.

"She'll be here at some point," Edward promised his aunt, smiling down at Bella. "I'll make sure of it."

"You will, will you?" Bella asked, one eyebrow arched in challenge.

"Please, Bella," Felix wheedled. "Please be here for Christmas."

"Yeah, _please_ Izzy – I mean Bella," Charlotte joined in. And with those two adorable little faces peering up at her as if she were the most amazing thing since Santa Claus, how could she refuse?

"I'm sure I'll be able to stop by for a little while," Bella relented, and the two little ones cheered before throwing themselves at her for hugs.

Goodbyes were said, and Bella and Edward were left alone for practically the first time all day. They could hear the socializing still going strong upstairs, but for the time being, things were quiet on their floor. And for that Bella was grateful – she was feeling drained from being around so many people for so long.

"You were great with them," Edward told her, taking her hand and leading her over to the sofa. She was stiff from sitting so long on the floor for hippo wars, so she was grateful for the opportunity to stretch out a bit.

"I haven't spent a lot of time around little kids," she admitted. "I don't have any cousins, and all my dad's friends' kids aren't that much younger than me. So it was fun."

Edward smiled at her. "I wouldn't be surprised if Felix asks you to marry him the next time he sees you. That's one serious crush he's got going."

Laughing, Bella sat at one end of the couch, stretching her legs out over Edward's lap. "He's a cutie. I could do a lot worse."

"Try not to break his heart, okay?" Edward shot her a sideways glance, smiling crookedly as he picked up the remote and tried to find something else to watch. "I don't think anyone would be able to recover after being rejected by Bella Swan, but especially not at such an impressionable age."

She laughed softly through her nose. "Yeah, that's me – serial heart-breaker."

Apparently deciding on a rerun of The Simpsons, Edward set down the remote and gently slipped off Bella's shoes. He set them on the floor next to the couch, and began rubbing her right foot, gently massaging the arch with his thumbs. "Oh, wow, that's… _ooooh_… really, really nice," she moaned, closing her eyes and sinking back against the arm of the sofa.

"Did you have an okay time today?" The question was soft and tentative, and Bella opened her eyes to see a surprising amount of uncertainty on Edward's face.

"I had a great time," she assured him, smiling. "I love your parents, the rest of your family seems great," with the notable exception of Uncle Aro and the twin thirteen-year-old terrors, Jane and Alec, who were both in need of a major attitude adjustment, in Bella's humble opinion, "and I've got my very own fan club in Charlotte and Felix." Her eyes drifted shut again, and Edward moved on to her left foot. "But if you ever call me Izzy again, I'll kill you without a second though. Despite the fact you give the best foot rubs _ever_."

"How 'bout you promise to never call me Eddie, I'll promise to never use the 'Iz' word _and_ to give you foot rubs anytime you want, and we call it even?" One of his eyebrows was arched at her, his lips curled crookedly.

Bella pretended to ponder that, and the longer she took, the more his half smile turned into a pout. "Okay, okay, deal," she laughed, kicking his thigh lightly with the heel of the foot not being rubbed. "Just stop it with the puppy dog face. I can't handle that."

They sat in silence for a while, both of them simply relaxing. Edward kept up the foot rub as he watched Bart get into some kind of mischief, and Bella was lulled into a state partway between wakefulness and sleep. She drifted for a while, until a chorus of "good nights" rang out from upstairs as another car load of people headed out.

"Hey, Edward?"

"Hmmm?" He rolled his head against the back of the sofa to look at her, a lazy smile on his face.

"Would you play something for me? On the piano, I mean?"

The smile on his face grew, until it was the full-blown, knee-weakening one he insisted on turning her way with alarming frequency. It was hazardous to her health – and heart.

"Sure," he agreed, carefully shifting her legs off his lap and sliding her shoes over so that she could easily slip them onto her feet. Once standing, he held out his hand to her, pulling her up off the couch. And, as he'd been doing all night, he kept hold of her hand as they headed upstairs to the music room.

Edward shut the door behind them, and the extent of the room's soundproofing amazed Bella. They couldn't hear a thing from the living room, just down the hall. He led her over to the beautiful baby grand, and settled himself onto the bench, tugging her hand gently indicating she was to sit next to him.

"What would you like to hear?"

"Anything," Bella admitted. She didn't care, she just wanted to hear him play. He seemed to consider that for a moment, but then he lifted his hands to the keys and pure magic seemed to flow from him to his instrument.

Edward was absolutely mesmerizing as he lost himself in the music. Eyes closed, face peaceful, his hands flew across the ivories, creating something so breathtakingly beautiful that Bella felt her eyes prickle with tears.

He was also hands-down the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up, exposing his forearms, and she watched the muscles shift and flow as he played.

She'd always found men's forearms and hands sexy. She couldn't explain it. And she'd admired Edward's for years. But now, seeing him work the keys so expertly, she felt positively enraptured.

A lock of his hair flopped down over his forehead as his entire body seemed to become consumed by the music, but he didn't seem to notice. Bella desperately wanted to sweep it back, to keep it from distracting him. In order to keep herself from acting on impulse, she linked her hands together and settled them in her lap.

Bella let the melody carry her away, and she became lost in both the music and the man. She almost wept as the last notes faded, and Edward opened his eyes, glancing over at her almost shyly.

"That was…," she paused, at a loss for words. "God, Edward, that was incredible. _You_'re incredible."

His smile went crooked, and he raked his hand through his hair, shoving back the bits that had fallen forward as he'd played. Bella was surprised to see his cheeks were pink, as if he were embarrassed – though why he would be, she had no idea.

"I didn't recognize that piece. What was it?"

Edward looked uncomfortable, once again pulling his hand through his hair. "It's an original composition I've been working on," he admitted, and Bella gaped.

"You wrote that," she clarified, not making it a question. He nodded, and the color in his cheeks deepened. "Wow."

"Does that mean you liked it?" His voice was soft and tentative, and she wasn't sure she'd ever seen him look quite so vulnerable.

"I loved it," Bella promised him, smiling widely. "Thank you for playing it for me."

His eyes scanned her face for a moment, as if attempting to determine her sincerity, and then his face split into the most beautiful smile. "No, thank _you_," he told her, relief evident in his voice. "You're the first person I've played it for, so you liking it… it means a lot."

Their eyes met and held, and the space between them became energized. With every fiber of her being, Bella wanted to lean in and kiss Edward senseless. The urge had never before been so strong. She could imagine how silky his hair would feel as she ran her fingers through it, how soft his lips would be against hers, how tender yet demanding his hands would be as he pulled her closer…

_Danger, Will Robinson, danger!_

Before she could do something catastrophically stupid, Bella stood and stepped away from the piano, making a big deal of checking he watch. "Shit, when did it get so late?"

It sounded lame even to her own ears. How tragic was that?

There was no response from Edward for a moment, so Bella started babbling to fill the silence. "I've gotta get up early tomorrow so I can start cooking, so I should probably be getting home…"

"I'm ready whenever you are, Bella," he replied from behind her. She jumped slightly and turned, not having heard him approach. The look in his eyes… god, what was it with him lately, saying one thing but making it seem like he might be saying something else entirely? She didn't know whether it was her imagination, or whether he really was trying to confuse the hell out of her.

"You'll come tomorrow, right?" Bella blurted out, desperate to change the mood. Edward's brow furrowed, and she rolled her eyes. "To dinner. At my house." He still looked like he wasn't quite understanding her. "Tomorrow is Thanksgiving dinner at Casa de Swan. I'm asking you to come."

"You don't have to invite me just because you came over today," he protested awkwardly.

"In all the time you've known me, how often have I ever done something just because I feel _obligated_?" The question was rhetorical, and Edward was smart enough to realize that. "I'm inviting you because I'd like you to be there." Her lips quirked. "You can bond with Jake."

Both eyebrows shot up, almost disappearing into his hairline. "Jake's going to be there?"

"Yup. And his dad, and another friend of theirs, Sue, and her two kids. So come, please? You might actually be able to keep me from setting Leah's hair on fire."

He barked out a laugh at that and cocked his head. "Who's Leah, and why is her hair in danger?"

"Leah Clearwater, Sue's daughter," Bella explained. "Sue's husband died a couple of years ago, and I think she and Charlie might've gone out a few times since. If they haven't, they should. They obviously like each other." It was cute in a vaguely disturbing way. Because if Charlie and Sue ever got married, that would make Leah her step-sister.

Bella would rather set her_ own _hair on fire.

"Leah and I have never exactly gotten along." And that was putting it mildly. "I love her kid brother to death, and Sue's pretty cool, but Leah… Let's just say she makes Rose look like Miss Congeniality." Edward snorted. "And she's not nearly as entertaining. No heart of gold hiding within that one."

"Well, when you put it that way, how can I resist," Edward wondered, still laughing. "If nothing else, I'm now dying to meet this Leah. I need to see for myself if she can really give Rosalie a run for her money."

Relieved that the strangeness between them had disappeared, Bella slipped her arm around his waist and steered him towards the door. "You know I'm only inviting you so you can charm Leah into acting like a human being – or a close facsimile thereof."

Edward laughed richly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I'm good, but I'm no miracle worker," he joked. "Are you sure you shouldn't be inviting a young priest and an old priest instead?"

Bella grinned up at him. "You might want to bring a jug of holy water, just in case."

Oh yes, tomorrow would be much better with Edward there to watch her back. Just so long as she could keep herself from pinning him against the counter and ravaging him.

* * *

**_There we go, the longest chapter yet. Hope you enjoyed! :)_**

**_If you want to chat about the story, get sneak peaks, ask questions, etc, pop on over to the forums at Twilighted, in the AU-Human area and play in the MIA thread. The link is on my profile page._**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

When Edward pulled into the Swans' driveway, he was still smiling to himself over how well the previous day had gone. His entire family had loved Bella, just as he'd known they would. Despite the fact he hadn't ever said anything incriminating to them about his feelings for Bella, he figured his parents were aware of just how much she meant to him. Fortunately they hadn't really said anything too terribly embarrassing in front of her. Afterward, though, his mom had given him a great big hug and confided in him just how much she liked Bella, and how for him she seemed.

Edward agreed whole-heartedly.

Freshly-baked apple pie in hand (his mother had insisted he not show up empty-handed), he stood at the front door and took a deep breath. The smell of burning leaves permeated the air the air, which, to him, simply embodied fall in Washington. The familiar smell helped calm him. He wasn't sure why, exactly, he was so nervous, but he was. Although he'd met Chief Swan before, Edward had never spent much time with the man, and he was determined to make a good impression.

From inside the house, he could hear voices and laughter, and he hesitantly lifted his hand and knocked. A long moment passed with no answer, and Edward shifted from one foot to the other. Just as he was about to knock again, the door swung open to reveal a woman of around 40, long black hair with just the tiniest hint of grey, and dark eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled at him.

"You must be Edward," the woman greeted, standing back and motioning for him to come in. "Come in, come in, please. I'm Sue. It's really nice to meet you."

"You too," he replied with a smile, shrugging out of his jacket and handing it to Sue so she could add it to the stash in the closet.

"Everyone's in the living room, I think, which is why nobody else heard the door," she explained apologetically, leading him deeper into the house. "Seth and Jake are probably driving poor Bella crazy by now, so she'll be really glad you're here."

As it turned out, Bella was the only one not in the living room when Sue ushered him inside and made introductions. Reactions to his arrival were interesting, if nothing else. Billy and Seth seemed genuinely happy to meet him, while Jake (who had gotten _huge_ over the past year – what the hell was Billy feeding the kid?) gave him a cautiously friendly hello. Somehow, Edward suspected Bella had read the kid the riot act, and told him to behave. Leah gave him the once over and a cool half-smile, then returned her attention to the magazine she was flipping through. Bella's dad seemed a little less scary than the first time he'd met the Chief, but maybe it was the lack of loaded weapon strapped to his side.

**---**

_Flashback_

_It was a quiet night at Java Jive, and Bella was in back taking inventory, while Edward manned the floor. Everything was clean and tidy, so he decided to take advantage of the down-time and get some reading done for his English class. _

_The bell chimed over the door to the coffee shop, and Edward looked up from his book. At the sight of the police officer approaching, Edward slid off his stool and ran a nervous hand through his hair. He didn't know why cops made him nervous. He'd never had a run-in with one, but he still felt guilty every time he came face to face with a man (or woman) in blue._

"_Can I help you?" Edward asked politely, almost afraid to hear the answer._

_The man's dark eyes narrowed slightly, and Edward couldn't help but feel he was being evaluated. "Who're you?"_

"_Uh, E-Edward," he stammered. Edward __**never**__ stammered. "Cullen."_

_The office looked down his nose at Edward, and his hands went to his wait. As he did, he pushed his jacket open, revealing the gun holster and weapon strapped to his side. "Cullen, huh. I've heard about you."_

_Edward's eyes widened slightly. Oh shit. Oh shit! What the fuck had he done? He didn't think he'd done anything wrong, but… _

"_Sir?"_

"_Hmmm," the cop confirmed, lips pressing into a thin line. He wasn't a particularly large man, standing a little shorter than Edward and about the same weight, but god__**damn**__ the man was intimidating!_

_The door to the back room suddenly swung open, and Bella appeared, like an answer to Edward's prayers._

"_Edward, can you give me a hand with –" Bella cut herself off when she spotted the officer, clearly surprised. "Hey. What are you doing here?"_

_Brow furrowed slightly, Edward wondered about Bella's reaction. He looked back at the officer and was shocked by the way the man's expression had softened._

"_Bells," he said, smiling. "Thought I'd stop in for some coffee since I'm just starting my shift."_

_She nodded, and started pouring him a cup of Columbian. "Dad, did you meet Edward?"_

_Edward froze. __**Dad**__? How was it possible that Bella had never thought to mention that her father was a cop?_

"_Yep," Officer Swan confirmed, leveling his gaze on Edward once again. Apparently the look he was giving wasn't lost on Bella, because she scowled._

"_Dad, knock it off. Edward's cool. You don't have play the intimidation game."_

_A smirk quirked Swan the Edler's lips, and he continued to stare Edward down. Despite being determined not to show any more fear in front of Bella's dad, Edward shifted uncomfortably._

_Handing the cup over, Bella arched an eyebrow. "Dad. Seriously. Quit it."_

"_Just havin' a bit of fun, Bells," he said lightly, still smirking. "No harm done, right Cullen?"_

_Edward offered a wan smile as his only reply, and the older man chuckled under his breath. Shit._

"_I'll see you before you go to school tomorrow," he told Bella, his smirk morphing into a fond, fatherly smile. _

"_Be careful out there," she warned. Officer Swan raised his coffee in acknowledgement, and headed for the door without another word._

_Edward rounded on Bella as soon as the door closed. "How did it never come up in conversation that your dad's a cop?"_

_She shrugged, completely unconcerned. "Didn't seem important?"_

"_It would've been nice to have some warning," he grumbled. "Instead I got to stand there looking like a dumbass. I always get freaked out by police officers."_

"_Um, Chief," Bella corrected in a mumble._

"_What?"_

"_He's not an officer, he's the Chief."_

_Edward stared at her, blinking stupidly. "Your dad's the Chief of police." It wasn't a question, but Bella nodded anyway. "Fucking hell, Swan. Your dad not only carries a gun, but has the power to fuck up my life in creative, plice-y ways, and you didn't think I needed to know that?"_

_She rolled her eyes. "You're being a pussy, Cullen." _

"_I'm not," he protested. "I bet I'm not the first one of your friends to react that way, am I?" Bella shrugged. "Especially friends of the male persuasion? Because dads see every guy as a threat to their daughters' virtue, and your dad can protect you by killing and hiding the bodies of any guy he doesn't want around you. That's fucking scary as hell."_

_On the other hand, the possibility that Chief Swan was scaring off Bella's potential boyfriends… that wasn't such a bad thing._

"_Wow. Drama queen much? Seriously, my dad's just… my dad. Don't let him catch you breaking the law and don't piss him off, and you'll be fine."_

_Edward glared at her and grumbled, "Famous last fucking words."_

**---**

"Edward," Charlie greeted with a nod, then reached out to clasp his hand. "Good to see you. It's been a while."

"You too, sir," Edward replied, shaking the older man's hand. He didn't miss the way his gaze slid to the package in Edward's other hand. "It's a pie. Apple."

"You didn't need to do that, but I'm sure it won't go unappreciated. Thanks, Edward." When Chief Swan smiled, it made him much less scary. "Bells is hiding out in the kitchen. You can take the pie in to her, if you want."

Not needing to be told twice, Edward high-tailed it for the kitchen. He stood in the doorway for a moment, simply watching Bella as she worked. She was dressed much more casually today, and she seemed totally at ease. As she worked, she chewed on her lower lip, and seemed to be bopping along to music that only she could hear. No ear buds were visible, so Edward figured she must have a song in her head that was giving her the rhythm she was moving to. In sock feet, she slid a few inches one way, then back the other, and Edward cringed, waiting for her feet to slip out from under her and for Bella to go sprawling across the floor. With her luck, she'd smack her head against the edge of the counter and end up spending the rest of the afternoon in the ER.

God knew he'd seen her do worse.

"Happy belated turkey day," he called out to her. Despite using a gentle tone, he managed to startle her, and she stumbled into the counter. Turning, she gave him a dirty look, and Edward raised his free hand defensively. "Hey, look – I come bearing peace offerings of food."

That seemed to appease her, and she cocked her head curiously. "What'd you bring?"

"Apple pie."

Bella arched an eyebrow as she crossed the kitchen to greet him. "Please tell me you didn't try to bake..."

Edward scoffed. "Of course not. My mom did."

Her face brightened at that, and she happily reached to take the pastry from him. "In that case, thank you!"

Smoothly, Edward lifted the pie out of reach. "Unh, unh, unh," he scolded playfully. "Until I get a proper greeting, no pie for you!"

"Cullen…"

"Swan…"

Bella heaved an exaggerated sigh in defeat, and stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He hugged her back, one-armed, and kissed the top of her head, breathing in the fruity scent of her shampoo. He knew he'd have to tone down the touchy-feely-ness while at the Swans', but that didn't mean he wouldn't take everything he could get.

Since his chat with Alice on Halloween, Edward had upped the stakes, trying to be more overt in his interest in Bella. Unfortunately, their crazy schedules had been keeping them from spending much time together, so he wasn't really able to build and keep any momentum. He'd noticed no real change in Bella's everyday behavior around him, so he figured either a) he wasn't doing a very good job of letting her know he was interested, or b) she wasn't interested and was trying not to encourage him. Knowing Bella, though, he suspected she was simply oblivious.

Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part.

Regardless, it was that doubt that kept him from simply sucking it up and asking her out. If she wasn't interested, he'd end up damaging their friendship. He was giving himself until the new year, and if he hadn't gotten anywhere by then, he'd have to reevaluate.

And maybe talk to Alice.

He was really hoping it wouldn't come to that, though. The night before, when he'd played the piano for her, Edward had felt something pass between them, and he was almost certain Bella had felt it too. He'd been a second away from swooping in and kissing her, and unless his instincts were seriously off, she'd been every bit as tempted as he. But then she'd leapt off the bench like she'd been electrocuted, and the moment had slipped through his fingers.

"Bella!" Edward arched an eyebrow at the voice. He suspected it was Seth, but he wasn't sure.

"Hey, no, wait. Asshole, stop it. Bells!" Okay, the other voice had definitely been Seth, because there as no mistaking Jacob's baritone. There was a thunder of footsteps coming down the hall towards them, and Bella groaned, thumping her head against Edward's chest.

"Save me," she pleaded, her voice slightly muffled against his shirt.

"Bella!"

"Don't listen to him, Bells! I didn't do anything!"

Not releasing Bella from his arm, Edward urged her further into the kitchen, preparing for the in-coming stampede. They didn't disappoint, and the two boys appeared in the doorway at the same time, crashing into each other and trying to elbow their way into the kitchen.

"Bella, Jake –"

"Shut it, Seth!"

"But –"

"Shut it! Or I swear to god, I'll tell your sister it was you who –"

"Okay, okay!"

Edward watched the two younger boys in amusement, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. He felt Bella's head turn, and she was cautiously peering past his arm.

"Who did what this time, or am I better off not knowing?" Bella's tone was a blend of annoyance and amusement.

The two boys glanced at each other, twin looks of sheepish guilt on their faces as they chorused, "Not knowing." It was only then that Jake seemed to register the way Edward was holding Bella, and his expression hardened instantly. But Edward held his ground, refusing to back down from this little alpha male pissing match.

Because he was going to win, dammit.

"Can I help, Bella?" This was from Seth, who honestly looked like he wanted to make himself useful rather than just come up with an excuse to be around Bella, which was what he'd expect from Jacob. Seth was officially okay in Edward's books.

Sighing, Bella took a step back, and Edward reluctantly let her go. He was pleased to note that she didn't go far, though, and couldn't quite keep from sending a slightly smug smile Jacob's way.

"Thanks, but I think everything's good for now," she told him, and Edward could tell she truly appreciated his offer. Her affection for the kid was obvious.

"Cool," he smiled, clearly appeased. And with that he leaned down and heaved a squeaking Bella over his shoulder. Edward was surprised to realize he was more amused than annoyed. Probably because of who it was – surely Jake wouldn't have gotten off so easily.

Oblivious to Bella's laughing protests and kicking legs, Seth looked askance at Jake. "Outside?"

Jacob appeared thoughtful for moment before nodding. "Outside," he agreed.

Curious, Edward followed, and stepped out the back door just in time to see a still-squealing Bella being dumped unceremoniously in a massive pile of leaves. A fire-pit near by was apparently the source of the sharp, burning smell in the air, as smoke rose into the trees, carrying with it the sharp, acrid smell of burnt vegetation.

Bella struggled to right herself, grabbing two fistsfull of leaves and tossing them at her tormenters. The boys laughed, not even bothering to dodge the debris, watching instead as it floated harmlessly to the ground, not even getting close to them. "Fuckers," she growled, scrambling gracelessly to her feet. Edward couldn't help but laugh with the other boys as she lunged at Seth, missing by a mile. When she turned on Jacob, he reached and cupped his hand over the crown of her head and locked his elbow, keeping himself well out of reach of her flailing fists.

"Keep trying, Bells! Oooooh, you almost go me that time," Jake taunted through his laughter, moving with her whenever she tried to dodge or weave out from under his hold on her. "Fists of fury, Bells, show me those itty, bitty, wussy, girly fists of fury!"

Seth was bent over he was laughing so hard, and Jake wasn't doing much better. And even though he knew he'd pay for it later, Edward couldn't keep from joining in. The sight of Bella trying to take on Jake, who towered above her (and everyone else for that matter) and was easily more than twice her weight, was just too funny.

Bella's face was scrunched up in annoyance as she continued her attack despite the obvious futility. Apparently she'd reached the limit of her patience because she suddenly hollered, "_Daaaaaaaad_!"

"Oh, low, Bells. That's really low," Jake protested. "That's a total desperate chick move if I've ever seen one."

Clearly, he wanted to have his ass handed to him by a girl, Edward decided.

Not two seconds later, Chief Swan was swinging open the door and quickly evaluating the situation, his lips twitching in amusement. Sue was hot on his heels, barreling past him and onto the back porch.

"Jacob! Seth," Sue ordered in that intimidating tone only mothers possessed. "Leave Bella alone or you'll be eating dinner in the garage!"

Apparently they were having too much fun to take the threat seriously, because neither boy seemed to pay her any attention. Charlie shot an arched eyebrow at Edward, who raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't look at me," he defended himself with a laugh. "I'm Switzerland."

Chief Swan gave a soft snort of laughter and shook his head. "Smart kid."

Seth was now in a giggling heap on the ground, his arm flung over his eyes as he tried to calm himself, and Jake was trying to diffuse the Bella situation. "If I let you go, do you promise not to try to kill me?"

"Yes," she ground out through clenched teeth.

"Hmmm, for some reason I don't _quite_ believe you," Jake mused, shifting his body back to dodge a blow that had somehow come closer to its target than the others. Suddenly she stopped fighting, and smiled up at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Jake," she began sweetly, the edge to her tone betraying her. "If you let me go, I promise I won't try to kill you."

He smirked, clearly not believing her, but he nodded. "Okay. There are witnesses, Bells – four of 'em. You try to kill me after I let you go, you'll have to suffer the consequences."

And then Bella did something that shocked the hell out of Edward. She batted her eyelashes flirtily at Jake. In the years he'd known Bella, Edward had never seen her flirt, not even playfully. He hadn't known she had it in her.

It was an intriguing development, actually.

"I promise," she repeated, and apparently the power of those big, dark eyes of hers was great, because he dropped his hand.

Then he made his fatal mistake: he turned his back on her.

"But I'll take my chances," she growled as her arm shot out and she wrapped her fingers around Jake's long ponytail and yanked. Hard.

Jake howled, his hand flying back and slapping the back of his head. "Mother fucker," he cried as Bella tugged again.

"Watch your mouth," Charlie barked, though he was clearly amused by the turn of events.

"What the hell, Bella?" Jake whined, knees bent as he twisted to one side to try to ease the pain to his scalp. "You promised!"

Her smirk was devious and triumphant, and Edward wanted to kiss her.

"No, I promised not to try to kill you," she corrected. "I never promised not to make you my bitch."

By now, Seth was curled up on his side, and Edward could see tears rolling down his cheeks as he gasped for breath through his laughter. "Oh my god," he managed to choke out. "Best. Thanksgiving. Ever."

A low chuckle accompanied Charlie's slowly shaking head. "Bells, let him go," he ordered gently.

"But Dad –"

"You've made your point," he said firmly. "Let him go."

For a moment, Edward thought Bella would force the issue. But then with a grand sigh and a scowl, she let Jake go – but not without a final yank.

"Fuck," he hissed, then immediately shot Chief Swan an apologetic look. "Sorry."

Bella and Jacob glared at each other for a long moment, and interestingly enough, it was Jake who ended the standoff. With a last, wounded look at her, he slunk off towards the house. Seth jumped to his feet and wrapped Bella in a hug from behind, lifting her right off the ground.

"You're awesome, Bella," he laughed as he set back down. "Remind me to never really piss you off."

And then he jogged after Jake, who'd disappeared into the house, followed by a scolding Sue. Charlie shook his head and smiled crookedly at his daughter. "Take it easy on him, Bells."

Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jeans, Bella huffed. "Yeah, well, he started it," she grumbled.

"Don't doubt that for a minute," Charlie laughed. "But still, don't be too hard on him. The kid's missed you."

She sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Fine."

Satisfied the message was received, Charlie headed back into the house. As soon as the door closed, Bella was glaring at Edward. "Some help you were."

"You didn't need my help," he assured her with a chuckle as he approached her. "You owned him all by yourself."

Her lips twitched before tugging into a smirk. "I kinda did, didn't I?"

Laughing, Edward pulled her into another hug. "Yeah, you kinda did." There was evidence of her roll in the leaf pile sticking out of her hair, so he kept one arm around her as he plucked out leaves and the occasional twig.

"I really don't have to wonder what it's like to have brothers, with those two around," Bella griped, standing mostly still as Edward groomed her.

"Seth seems like a really nice kid," he admitted, struggling with a particularly stubborn leaf stem.

"He's such good person," Bella confirmed. "Really sweet and genuine. Doesn't have a mean bone in his body." She smirked. "I think Leah must've gotten them all."

Edward chuckled and smoothed down her hair, satisfied that he'd cleared out the last of the leaves. "She's not overly friendly, is she?"

Bella snorted rather inelegantly. "Captain Obvious, ladies and gentlemen," she drawled.

"Smartass," he muttered, and Bella grinned. Shifting his arm up so that it was around her shoulders, together they headed back inside.

Dinner was a rather raucous if relaxed affair, and Edward found himself enjoying the very different atmosphere from the evening before. Bella wasn't quite as reserved as she'd been at his house, surrounded by strangers as she'd been, but he noticed that she still sat back and let the others carry most of the conversation. Of course, Chief Swan did the same, so she clearly came by it rightly.

Edward had talked to Seth quite a bit throughout the day, and definitely liked him. They talked about everything from sports to music, and it turned out they shared a lot of the same tastes. Even Jake had turned out to be less annoying than he'd expected. The showdown in the back yard clearly forgiven and forgotten, he paid more attention to Bella than Edward would have preferred, and still shot the odd dirty look his way, but for the most part, he was fine. As it turned out, Jake was actually quite funny, and several times he had the group of them gasping for breath from laughing so hard.

Only Leah had remained aloof throughout the festivities. Apart from the occasional snide remark, more often than not directed at Bella, she didn't say much. Probably because of the warning glares Sue kept shooting down the table any time she opened her mouth. Bella gave as good as she got, though, despite Charlie's apparent – if silent –

disapproval. It was amazing what the man could communicate with an arched eyebrow.

As dinner wrapped up and the table was cleared, Bella was shooed off to the living room. "You cooked, you're not cleaning up, too," Sue rationalized, ignoring Bella's protests.

So Bella, Billy, and Charlie moved out, while Edward volunteered to help with the clearing. Sue tried to convince him to join Bella, but before he could protest, Jake cut in. "Nah, let him make himself useful for a change," he said with a smirk.

Apparently his voice carried, because Bella hollered a one-word warning from the living room. "Jacob!"

Jake rolled his eyes and carried the turkey platter into the kitchen, and a snickering Edward followed with bowls of side dishes in each hand. Before Edward could make a second trip, Jake stopped him and motioned for him to follow as he slipped out the back door.

Once on the porch, Jacob shut the door and crossed his arms over his chest, obviously trying to look intimidating. He was silent for a moment, clearly a tactic to make Edward uneasy. It didn't work, though. Edward arched an eyebrow and leaned against the porch railing, waiting, until finally Jake broke.

"Okay, Cullen, here's the deal. You haven't been acting like the douche I was expecting today. You're actually kinda chill, so I'm not gonna stir the shit. It'd only piss off Bells, anyway, and my head's still fucking sore from earlier."

Jake rolled his eyes and Edward smirked, unsure if he should be taking Jacob's words as a compliment or not. So he chose to keep quiet for the time being, letting the kid talk himself out. He wasn't entirely sure where Jake was going with this, but he had his suspicions. And if he didn't have Bella's best interest at heart, Edward would have to take serious issue with his attitude.

"But you need to know that you really fucking hurt her when you took off last year. She tried to hide it, because, let's face it, that's just Bells, but I could see it, and it made me want to beat the shit out of you. I don't get why she forgave you so easily, but whatever. She's too damn forgiving for her own good, and she obviously likes you enough to ignore the fact you were an asshole to her even though you were supposed to be her friend. I don't have to understand it or like it, and I don't."

Edward's face grew somber as Jake spoke, not especially wanting to think about the stupidity of his actions the previous fall. Hearing Bella admit that he'd hurt her had been bad enough. Hearing that she'd been hurt badly enough for Jake to notice, regardless of the fact that Edward had already inherently known that, felt like he'd been kicked in the gut.

"So what I'm getting at is pretty simple." Jake took a step forward, invading Edward's personal space, looming over him and lowering his voice so that it was barely a growl. "You hurt her again? I will fuck. You. Up. Got it?"

The thing that really bugged Edward was that he couldn't even justify getting angry. Jake was entirely within his rights as one of Bella's closest friends to want to protect her, and if their roles were reversed, Edward would be giving Jacob the same speech. And he couldn't help but wonder just how much harsher the threat would be if Jake knew Edward wanted Bella as more than just his friend.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Edward vowed, holding Jake's piercing gaze. "But if I do, I won't blame you for anything you do to me. Because I'd do the same to you."

The two of them stood there for a long moment, staring the other one down. Edward suspected Jake was trying to gauge his sincerity. Finally, it seemed like he found what he'd been looking for. With a nod, Jake stepped back and held out his hand. It was a peace offering, and Edward accepted, clasping the boy's hand.

"We'd better get back in there before Sue comes looking for us," Jake said with a smirk. "She's a super nice lady, but damn, you do_ not_ want to get on her bad side."

When the leftovers were all put away and the dishwasher was running, Edward and Jake rejoined the group in the living room. Charlie and Billy were watching football, Sue and Seth were looking through what Edward assumed was a Swan Family photo album, and Bella had a sour look on her face as Leah smirked. Clearly something was going on there, and Edward arched an eyebrow in question as he sat next to Bella on the sofa. Her only reply was to roll her eyes, so it obviously wasn't anything too serious.

As he made himself comfortable, he was pleasantly surprised when Bella tucked her feet up and angled her body towards him, her arm pressing against his and her head resting lightly on the very edge of his shoulder. It was subtle, but he'd noticed that she was more self-conscious around her family, much less inclined to express herself through touch. So he'd respected that, resisting the urge to put his arm around her or hold her hand, no matter how desperately he'd wanted to. But now, Bella was making a statement – and from the expressions around the room, that fact wasn't lost on anyone.

Feeling rather smug all of a sudden, Edward toyed with the idea of draping his arm around her shoulders and letting her rest her head against his chest, but a quick glance at Chief Swan put a stop to that. He didn't look angry, but he definitely looked… like the protective father of a teenaged girl. After a moment of intense appraisal, Charlie turned his attention back to the game. Edward wasn't sure if that was the equivalent of receiving Charlie's blessing, or if he just trusted Edward wasn't stupid enough to try anything with so many other people in the room.

Dipping his head slightly, Edward spoke softly into Bella's ear. "Tired?"

"Hmmm," she confirmed with a nod, letting her eyes drift shut. "Long day."

A derisive snort from the nearby recliner earned an annoyed look from Edward. "Aw, poor Isabella. Must be really hard work single-handedly putting the women's lib movement back a hundred years," Leah observed, not even bothering to look up form her magazine.

"Leah," came Sue's warning, but neither girl acknowledged it.

"Just because I actually _like_ cooking and you've got all the culinary skills of slug doesn't mean I'm any less of a feminist than the next girl," Bella stated tiredly, not even bothering to lift her head.

"It's demeaning, slaving away in the kitchen while the men do dick-all. Your little domestic goddess act gives women everywhere a bad name," Leah insisted.

"Says the girl with her nose in the latest issue of Cosmo," Bella drawled, causing Edward to chuckle softly. "Talk about demeaning to women…"

"If you actually read Cosmo, maybe you'd be able to make yourself look a little less small-town-hick," Leah shot back. "And then maybe you'd be able to trick some stupid bastard into dating you, rather than having all these guy _friends_."

Edward bristled at that and was sorely tempted to jump to Bella's defense, but he knew she wouldn't appreciate his interference. "Oh god," she laughed. "The irony, it burns!" Opening one eye, she looked at Leah. "Do you have _any_ idea just how unenlightened that statement of yours was? And you have the nerve to give me shit about not being enough of a women's libber? God. Pot and kettle." She shook her head, clearly more amused than annoyed. "Unlike _some_ people who like to whore it up," Leah's magazine dropped to the ground as she shot forward in her chair, clearly enraged at the implication, and Charlie shot Bella a warning look that she ignored or simply didn't notice, "in an effort to land a man, I don't need a boyfriend for validation."

"Go Bells," Jake encouraged her with a grin.

"Screw you, Black," Leah snarled, and Jacob looked horrified.

"No way," he protested adamantly. "Absolutely nothing could get me to touch your STD-ridden, skanky ass."

"Knock it off," Billy chastised half-heartedly, not pulling his eyes from the television.

Shifting uncomfortably, Edward glanced around the room and caught Seth's apologetic glance. "Sorry about her. She's been extra bitchy lately. Her long-time boyfriend just dumped her for our cousin," he explained under his breath.

Oh, ouch. That had to hurt. It didn't excuse Leah's behavior, but it certainly explained a lot of it.

"Just because I like to go out and have fun doesn't mean I'm a whore," Leah growled at Bella, who shrugged.

"Never said it did. It's the If You Seek Amy clothes that make you _look_ like a whore," Bella corrected.

"Girls, please –" It was Sue's gentle plea, but it could barely be heard over the boys' laughter. Seth nearly choked on his sip of Coke, and Jacob through his head back with laughter. Edward mulled that one around in his head for a second, and then it clicked, and he couldn't help laughing, too.

_Heh. Nice._ He never thought he'd live to see the day when Bella would quote Britney Spears. It was even funnier than he'd thought.

"Well, Bella, you know what they say – if you've got it, flaunt it." Leah very obviously looked Bella over from head to toe, and her lips curled into a cruel smirk. "On second thought, I guess you _wouldn't_ know."

Edward saw red. And no matter how many times he told himself it was wrong to punch a girl, the urge to knock Leah on her ass was almost overwhelming. Apparently Bella sensed the change in him, because she placed a calming hand on his chest, right over his heart, to still him.

"Ouch," Seth said with a wince, giving his sister a bewildered look. "Leah, that was way harsh."

"And total bullshit," Jake added. "Bella's a hottie, right Cullen?" Edward shot him a look that clearly told the kid there was no way he was getting involved. Jake smirked at him.

"I'd rather be the most hideous person on the planet than be a heinous bitch like you," Bella spat back.

"_Enough!_"

The room froze, but all eyes shifted nervously to Chief Swan. He was still sitting in his favorite recliner, but his hands gripped the armrests until he was white-knuckled, and he was glaring at the lot of them.

"That's enough," he repeated his voice calmer now, less menacing, but no less serious. His gaze lit on each person in turn, and now Edward didn't hesitate to put his arm around Bella. From the look on her father's face, she'd need the support. "I don't know what the hell the problem is, and I don't care. It ends _now_." He looked long and hard at Bella, and Edward felt her shift uncomfortably. "I'd expect better from you, Bells."

She hung her head slightly in response, and Edward gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Sorry, Dad."

"Leah, we'll discuss this at home," Sue said coolly, giving her daughter a look that said she meant business. Pointing towards the door, she smiled at everyone else as Leah stomped past her and Seth shuffled out of the room. "Thank you for a lovely dinner. Bella, you outdid yourself. And Edward, it was great meeting you. Hopefully we'll see you again soon."

Smiling silently, Edward lifted a hand to give a small wave. Charlie pushed himself out of his chair. "I'll walk you out," he murmured, disappearing down the hall with the Clearwaters.

"You okay?" Edward asked quietly, once again leaning down to speak into her ear. She nodded, but wouldn't look at him, which worried him. "C'mon, let's go get some fresh air."

Without giving her a chance to respond, he was on his feet and pulling her along behind him. He met Jake's concerned eyes and nodded, indicating he'd take care of her. Stopping only long enough to grab their jackets, Edward ushered Bella out the back door and into the dark yard. The fire pit had been maintained throughout the day, and its flames were the only illumination. He kept them walking until they reached the far side, along the edge of the woods. There was an old, weather beaten bench almost hidden by the underbrush, and that's where they sat, sheltered from the view of anyone in the house.

"Bet you weren't expecting dinner _and_ a show," Bella joked softly.

"No, can't say I was," he admitted with a chuckle, putting his arm around her and drawing her to his chest. "Do you think your dad's really mad?"

Bella sighed, and shook her head slightly. "I don't know. Probably not." He rubbed her arm while giving her a chance to collect her thoughts. "He just knows exactly what to say to make me feel guilty as hell. I mean, he's my _dad_. The last thing I want is for him to be disappointed in me."

"I don't think he ever could be," Edward reassured her.

"Except when I mouth off to his girlfriend's daughter," she sighed.

"He was there, Bella. He knows you didn't start it." Bella just shrugged, and Edward figured he wasn't going to make any more headway. "So are Sue and Charlie really dating?"

"I'm not sure it's official, or anything, but I think so."

Edward nodded thoughtfully. Considering how happy his parents were with each other, he couldn't even fathom what it would be like to be a child of divorce. And he certainly couldn't imagine what it must feel like to see your parents date other people, or remarry… start new families. He knew one of the reasons Bella had moved to Forks was to give her mom and step-father a chance to be a couple, but he'd never really stopped to consider just how difficult the situation must've been for her. It had been just her and Renee for so long… had Bella felt replaced by Phil? Had she felt jealous? And now that Charlie had apparently found someone else, someone who came with a family of her own, how did that make Bella feel? That she was being replaced yet again? That she wasn't as important to her dad as she'd been before Sue came along?

Of course, even if Bella did feel like that, she'd never let it show. So unless she volunteered the information on her own, Edward would probably never know.

"You weren't kidding about Leah," he observed, trying to steer the conversation in a slightly different direction. "She's a real piece of work."

"She's a fucking bitch," Bella corrected with a snort.

"That too," Edward agreed, pausing before continuing. "You know she's full of shit, right? She's attacking you out of jealousy." Bella didn't react. "Jake loves you. Her own_ brother_ loves you, and her mom adores you. Leah turns people off as soon as she opens her mouth."

"I don't think she really cares what anybody else thinks," she said. "And she sure as hell doesn't consider me a threat of any kind."

Edward disagreed. "She's also jealous that you don't have to dress to impress in order to get attention. You're beautiful without even trying."

She snorted. "_Leah's_ beautiful. She's got nothing to be jealous of."

"Sure she does. The more people get to know you and love you, the more beautiful you are to them," he continued, rubbing her arm gently. He glanced down and was greeted by the top of Bella's head. When he shifted slightly, though, the flicker of the fire revealed her intense blush. "Leigh's the opposite. She's only beautiful on the surface. The more you get to know her, the uglier she seems."

Bella leaned back slightly and narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you saying I'm ugly, Cullen?" Her voice was ripe with mock offense, her lips quirking into the beginnings of a teasing grin.

Looking down at her, Edward realized he had two choices at that moment. He could go with her obvious attempt at changing the subject and laugh it off, or he could be serious. He knew Bella wasn't fishing for a compliment. She didn't especially suffer from low self-esteem, she just didn't particularly care. She was confident enough in who she was that she didn't feel the need to hide behind a mask of makeup and revealing clothes. It was one of the things he loved most about her – she was real and natural.

And at that moment, she just about took his breath away.

"No," he told her softly, clearly deciding without consciously making the choice to go the serious route. "_You_ are most definitely not ugly." The smile slipped from Bella's lips, and there was a wariness in her eyes that made his stomach clench. Lifting his free hand, he stroked her cheek with the back of one finger. "You're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever known."

Pulling her lower lip into her mouth, Bella bit it nervously, but didn't break eye contact. Slowly, he drew the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip, gently drawing it from between her teeth. He could have sworn he heard her breath catch.

His hand shifted, gently cupping her jaw as he stroked his thumb over her soft skin. The fire cast odd shadows, accentuating the height and angle of her cheekbones.

"Beautiful," he whispered tenderly, and his gaze dropped briefly to her mouth. His heart rate suddenly picked up, and there was a roaring in his ears. The tip of her tongue peaked out, moistening her lips, and that was just about his undoing.

The energy he'd felt the night before was back, crackling between them hotly, and he couldn't help himself. It felt like he was moving in slow motion as he leaned in, watching in fascination as her eyes partially closed. Her breath puffed against his lips, and at the last possible moment, he paused, suddenly terrified to close the minute gap that would change their relationship forever.

"Bells! You out here?"

Jake's bellowing voice had the effect of a bucket of cold water being thrown on them. With a gasp, Bella bolted to her feet, pointedly not looking at Edward. "Yeah, we're here," she called back, her voice wavering ever-so-slightly as she stepped into the light of the fire.

Edward scrubbed his face in frustration – both with himself, for taking such a potentially stupid chance, and with Jake, for being a cock-blocking son of a bitch without even knowing it. He'd been so close… so close to fulfilling one of his Bella-centric fantasies – the most PG of them all, sure, but a fantasy nonetheless. And it had seemed like she was going to let him kiss her. But was it simply because she was still upset from what had happened inside, and was willing to take comfort in whatever form he offered it, or had she really wanted to kiss him?

Jake lumbered over to the fire pit, and his brow furrowed very slightly as he apparently took in the body language of both Edward and Bella. The former was slumped forward, elbows resting on his knees as he shook his head slightly, and the latter's arms were wrapped around her own waist. Edward didn't doubt for a second that things looked strained. And strange.

"Everything cool?" Jake asked. He was looking at Bella, but the underlying warning in the question, the unspoken 'It had better be', was clearly directed at Edward.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Bella nodded, her smile uncomfortable and cheeks positively flaming.

_Fuck. _He was the reason for that look on her face, for the awkwardness that seemed to envelop them. Edward had fucked up, and he was kicking himself.

_Fix this,_ his inner voice was shouting. _Fix it before you fuck things up for good! _

Getting to his feet, Edward stepped up behind Bella and laid a gentle hand on her back. He cringed at the way she seemed to flinch at his touch, but didn't remove his hand.

Obviously picking up on the tension, Jake's gaze jumped between Edward and Bella. The wheels in his head were obviously turning, and Edward figured it would be smart to make his escape before Jake put two and two together, and came up with the answer that Edward needed to die.

"I should probably get going," Edward told them. "My parents wanted to spend some 'quality time' with me before we head back to Seattle tomorrow." He rolled his eyes, hoping to evoke a laugh, or at the very least a grin. But Bella's only response was a tight-lipped smile and eye contact that lasted less than a second.

"Sure," she said, nodding.

"I'll pick you up around noon," he continued, struggling to sound normal. "Does that work?"

Bella nodded. "You're driving, so whenever you want to go is fine."

Dragging his hand through his hair, Edward glanced up and noticed Jake's hard gaze was fixed firmly on him. Shit.

Right. Time to go.

"Dinner was awesome. Thank you." Edward pulled Bella into a hug and kissed the top of her head, holding her just long enough that it didn't seem he was afraid of touching her, but not long enough for it to scare her. He hoped.

At least she hugged him back.

Releasing her, he smiled and tried to catch her eyes, and she relented, smiling crookedly at him before looking back at the fire.

"Jake, good to see you again." The boys shook hands again, and Jake nodded.

"Yeah, you too," the younger boy said, though Edward wasn't sure he believed the words. "Drive safe tomorrow. If anything happens to Bells, I'll hold you responsible."

The threat in those words was impossible to miss.

"Say good night to your dad for me, Bella."

She nodded and looked up again, a small smile on her lips that didn't reach her eyes. "Will do. And thank your mom for the pie for us, okay? G'night, Edward."

Leaving Jake with Bella, Edward slipped through the gate and nearly sprinted to his car. He flung the door open and threw himself inside, slamming the door shut. "Fuck." He clutched at his hair with both hands, tipping his head back against the seat. He'd really screwed up this time. Growling in frustration, Edward lashed out, punching the steering wheel violently. "_Fuck_!"

Tomorrow, he and Bella would be alone together for the better part of four hours as they drove back to school. That was bound to be awkward, all 'round.

"You're a fucking idiot, Cullen," he cursed himself as he jammed his key into the ignition, threw the car into gear, and reversed out the Swans' driveway.

He continued to berate himself for the majority of the drive to his parents' house, but by the time he was walking through the front door, he'd decided on his plan of attack: he would take his cues on how to act from Bella. That was the only way he could think of to salvage things. And once things seemed back to normal between them, he'd figure out the rest.

* * *

**_Okay, so... this isn't my favorite chapter, to date. It really isn't. It killed me to have to pull out the tired, contrived "interrupted kiss" ploy, but Edward forced me to write myself into a corner. I apologize for the cheese factor, I really and truly do. I'm embarrassed by it, believe me, but I was held hostage by my head people. Please bear with me - the next chapter will be better, I promise. :)_**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Bella was wallowing in self-pity over her state of self-imposed exile.

The semester was coming to a close, and Finals Hell had descended on the student popular of the University of Washington. So far, Bella was fairly confident in how she'd performed on her final exams, but the worst were yet to come – along with two final term papers that were threatening to drive her insane. Which was why she had removed herself from all social interaction until she handed in her final assignment.

None of her friends seemed to be immersing themselves quite as thoroughly as Bella was, and it was frustrating. She'd snapped at Alice more than once when her roommate had tried to get her to go out and have some fun with the group, the most recent time being that very afternoon. The only time Bella had left her dorm over the past week and a half was to scurry over to the dining hall for some food to take back to her room.

And despite the fact she knew she was doing the right thing by focusing on her schoolwork, Bella missed her friends. In particular, Edward, whom she'd barely seen since Thanksgiving.

Ah, Thanksgiving. What a wonderfully fucking weird holiday that had turned into for Bella.

There was no doubt in her mind that Edward had wanted to kiss her, and had Jake not interrupted their moment in her backyard, he likely would have. He'd called her beautiful, and she knew he'd meant it. He'd looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the world, and then he'd leaned in and… stopped. He'd stopped, just before lip-on-lip contact could be established, and Bella had spent hours upon hours pulling her hair out in an attempt to figure out _why_ Edward had hesitated. Had he changed his mind at the last minute? Had he simply been acting on the spur of the moment?

Her gut told her no; her gut told her that he'd definitely wanted to kiss her. Jake's atrocious sense of timing needed some serious work.

She'd been dreading seeing Edward the next day for the drive back to Seattle, but she'd forced herself to act as natural as possible. On more than one occasion during the four-hour drive, Bella caught him watching her, eyes scanning her face in search of something. There was an elephant in the car with them, but neither of them was brave enough to address it. So she went the distraction route. And as soon as she'd started the banter, he'd joined in, and things had gone back to normal.

But the lingering kiss he'd placed on her cheek when he'd left her at her door pretty much confirmed what she'd suspected, and what Alice had been trying to get through her thick skull for months: that Edward was interested in her as more than just a friend.

This revelation had instilled a new confidence in Bella, while simultaneously blowing her mind. She still found it hard to believe, but the mounting evidence was hard to ignore. And, if she were honest, she didn't want to ignore it. The question was, what should she do?

Never in her 19 years had Bella pursued a boy. She'd never been the aggressor, never been the instigator. (The closest she'd ever come was asking Edward to prom, and that had ended up a monster clusterfuck.) The very small number of guys she'd gone out with, even just casually, had pursued her. So short of telling him straight out, which she definitely could _not _do, she really didn't know how to go about letting Edward know he had the green light.

Not that he really seemed to question whether he did. His flirting and innuendo-laden comments had reached new heights, as if he were purposely trying to drive her mad. Trying to flirt back was a lost cause, though, because she was beyond hopeless at it.

Bella groaned and thumped her head against her desk. This was a distraction she really didn't need, at the moment. She just wanted to finish up the semester so she could relax and maybe pick Alice's devious little brain about what to do about one Edward Cullen.

And by allowing her mind to drift off onto the Edward Tangent for a few moments, Bella had successfully rendered herself useless. And knowing that, at that very moment, he was likely out with the rest of their group of friends, having an absolute blast, somehow made it worse. At all.

Sighing, she shut her laptop and trudged to her closet, grabbing her towel, robe, and shower caddy. Might as well take advantage of the mostly-deserted floor and take a nice, relaxing shower. Hopefully, that would help her clear her mind enough that she'd be able to get a solid draft of her poetry assignment out of the way.

As Bella stood under the hot spray, she closed her eyes and tried to let her mind release anything distracting. She needed to be able to focus for one more week, and then she'd be able to do whatever she wanted, think about whatever and whoever she wanted. She was exceptionally careful to keep all thoughts of Edward at bay. Just the idea of thinking about him while she was in the shower was enough to make her blush. It felt wrong, somehow, like she'd be… objectifying him, or something. She'd had enough male friends over the years, and had read enough to know that guys generally didn't hesitate to fantasize about the objects of their lustful affections and jerk off in the shower, but Bella just couldn't bring herself to do it.

Now, if Edward were actually in the shower with her that would be another story all together.

_Stop it_, Bella chastised herself as she finished up, wringing out her hair before wrapping a large bath sheet around herself. She dried off and slipped on her short, blue terry-cloth bathrobe, and spent a few minutes towel-drying her hair. She actually did feel rather refreshed, she was pleased to note. The shower had been an excellent idea.

Collecting her things, she headed back to her room, flip-flops slapping wetly on the floor. Bella's steps faltered when she rounded the corner and saw someone sitting against her door. Someone whose eyes left a burning trail as they traveled very slowly from her toes up to her head and back down again, a lazy smile curling his luscious lips.

"Sexy Shower Chic is definitely a good look for you, Swan," Edward told her as she neared him. He stayed where he was, leaning against her door and looking up at her with that annoyingly perfect grin.

"No straight man should ever use the word 'chic' in casual conversation, let alone pronounce it right," she told him with a smirk. "And Creepy Stalker's a good look for _you_, Cullen. Are you going to get move so I can get in my room?"

"Hmmm, don't think so. I kinda like the view from down here," he replied, cocking his head to the side slightly and pretending to peer up her robe.

Glaring at him, she clutched the hem closed, conscious that underneath the robe she was wearing only a small pair of panties. "Congrats, you've just graduated to Creepy _Pervy_ Stalker. Nice work," Bella informed him with a snort of laughter, nudging his leg with her foot. "Seriously, get up so we can go inside."

With a dramatic sigh, Edward climbed to his feet. It was completely unfair how graceful he was, Bella grumbled internally as she unlocked the door and motioned for him to enter. "So to what do I owe the honor? I thought you guys were all going out tonight."

Snagging her guitar from its resting place against the wall, he shrugged and flopped down on her bed, making himself comfortable. It struck her how good he looked lying there – in her room, in her _bed_ –totally relaxed as he strummed the instrument he'd given her. "We were. I bailed when I got sick of feeling like the fifth wheel."

Bella nodded sympathetically and took a seat at the end of her bed. "Yeah, that can get old," she admitted.

"So hurry up and get dressed."

"Huh?" She looked at him in confusion.

"Get dressed," he said again, this time more slowly and over-enunciating the words. "We're getting out of here."

"No we're not," Bella said firmly, and motioned toward her desk. "I've got a metric fucktonne of work to do, besides studying."

"Yeah, so do I. What's your point? It's Saturday night," Edward stated as he sat up, setting the guitar aside, and met her gaze steadily. "You don't have anything due until Tuesday." He raised a hand to stop her protest. "I know that for a fact. I asked Alice. So I've decided you need to get out of your room and have some fun before you burn yourself out."

"Cullen –"

"Swan," he replied with a grin. Clearly he could already tell she was considering caving. "Seriously, you need a break. We'll go out for a few hours, have some stupid, stress-releasing fun, and then you'll be ready to hit the books again tomorrow."

Bella was silent for a long a moment, but Edward didn't give an inch – he waited patiently, daring her with his eyes to decline. She suspected he had a plan, in case she didn't go along with him. And somehow she had visions of him throwing her over his shoulder and taking her wherever it was he wanted to go, with her still in just her robe.

Not her idea of fun. Unless, of course, he was cave-manning her back to his apartment for some naked stress release for two.

_Gah! Stop it!_

"Fine," she said resignedly, and Edward grinned widely. "What do you want to do?"

He shook his head, still grinning. "Nuh-uh. It's a surprise. Wear something casual and comfortable, that's all I'm gonna say."

He remained on her bed, and Bella raised her eyebrows, motioning to the door. "Get out so I can change."

He brought out the puppy dog eyes, and she groaned silently. So. Un. Fair. "Do I have to?"

"If you want to see my underwear so bad, I'll give you a pair to sleep with like a blankie. How's that?" Bella offered with a smirk.

The expression on Edward's face morphed into something incredibly dangerous, and she swallowed hard. She'd never, in the years that she'd known him, seen that look before. His eyes bored into hers as he smirked sexily, and she fought the urge to look away. "What would be the point of having your underwear in my bed if you weren't wearing them?"

Bella forgot how to breathe.

_Oh, Jesus fucking Christ._

She couldn't deal with this now. No, no, no. No turning her insides to Jell-O when she still had finals to study for.

_Be strong, Swan!_

Taking a deep breath, she let it out in a huff and rolled her eyes, pointing at the door. "Out. Now. We can debate the pros and cons of my panties being in your bed – with or without me – some other time."

Edward climbed off her bed and brushed against her lightly as he passed. "I'm holding you to that," he said in a low voice, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Bella said, making a show of being dismissive. "Get out."

Grinning wickedly, he slipped out the door, shutting it behind him. With a soft whimper, Bella leaned back against it, closing her eyes as she begged for strength from whatever deity might have been passing by.

One more week. She just needed to be strong for one more week, and then she could allow herself to think about what to do about Edward. She just hoped she'd survive that long.

Edward was tight-lipped about where they were going, not even telling her how long of a drive it would be until they reached the mystery destination. Surprises were far from Bella's favorite thing, and he knew that. The fact that he wore a smirk the entire time told her he was very much aware of how annoyed she was growing.

"Edward,_ please_?"

"Nope."

"Pleeeeeaaaaase?"

He laughed, glancing at her from the corner of her eye. "As much as I love to hear you beg, no."

Bella huffed out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest, and returned to staring out the window. "You suck. You know that, right?"

"I've been accused of worse," Edward replied, and she could hear the grin in his voice.

About fifteen minutes later, they pulled off the highway, and Bella caught sight of a sign. "We're going to an arcade?"

"It's not a fucking _arcade_, you blasphemer," he said, his tone all kinds of appalled. "It's the Playdium." Bella just looked at him blankly. "You've never been here before?"

She shook her head. "Never heard of it, let alone been here."

"Oh, Bella," Edward grinned, "you're in for one hell of a night."

She couldn't help it: she shivered. It didn't matter that his words were, for all intents and purposes, completely innocent. They sent Bella's poor little exhausted mind diving right into the gutter.

They parked, and Edward grabbed her hand, hauling her towards the massive building. He was grinning like an excited little boy, and his happiness was contagious. Despite her protests, he paid for their play cards, and then dragged her into another world.

A world that was probably the wet dream of many a geeky teenaged boy.

"Where do you want to start?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

Bella didn't have a clue. It was more than a little overwhelming for a first-timer. In the main area, there were walls upon walls of video games, then an area with games you played for prize tickets. There were also signs pointing through different doors, directing patrons towards the indoor sports dome, which boasted glow in the dark mini golf, go karts, a driving range, batting cages, and a bowling alley.

"You choose," she said finally. "The only things I know in here are air hockey and skee ball."

"That's a start," Edward conceded. "But we need to expand your horizons a bit." He motioned toward the sports dome end. "What about anything in there?"

Bella nodded. "Mini golf is fun, but I suck at it. I haven't driven a go kart in ages, but again, fun. The others are great big no-way-in-hells. I'd probably end up killing someone."

He laughed, releasing her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his chest. "Sadly, you're probably right," he agreed with a grin. "So whaddya say we start with skee ball, and go from there?"

And play skee ball they did. After the first couple of games, a competitive rivalry bloomed between them, and creative sabotage tactics were thrown into the mix to keep things interested. Two hours and countless turns at different games later, Bella and Edward had managed to amass enough tickets to redeem for some fairly decent prizes.

"We'll figure out what we want at the end of the night," Edward told her, urging Bella towards the sports dome. "Let's go a few laps on the go karts."

Bella bounced lightly on the balls of her feet as they waited for their turn on the track, tucked securely under Edward's arm, and he watched her in amusement.

"What?" she demanded.

He grinned crookedly and shook his head. "You. What, are you channeling Alice, or something?"

Elbowing him in the ribs earned a soft 'oomf'. "I'm having fun," she informed him with a scowl. "Wasn't that the whole purpose of tonight?"

"It was one of them," Edward replied with a shrug.

Bella cocked her head slightly and peered up at him. "What were the others?"

He suddenly appeared uneasy, and she wished she could take the question back. But it was too late now. "I've missed you," Edward admitted softly, raking his hand through his mop of hair. "We've hardly seen each other lately, and when we have, we've been part of the group." He looked down at her, meeting her eyes as he graced her with a lopsided smile. "I'm a selfish prick, and I just wanted you to myself for a night."

Immediately, warmth spread up her neck to her cheeks, and her teeth worried her lower lip.

When Edward was laying it on thick, like he'd been back in her dorm room, she could handle it. She could use her sarcasm to deflect his lewd comments and conceal the true effect they had on her. It was her shield, and she felt safe behind it. This, though… this was the side of Edward that left her completely flustered and without any sort of defense. The sweet, sincere, genuine part of him left Bella reeling and wondering how he could possibly be talking about her, because it seemed too good to be true.

But she knew she couldn't hide from this. She couldn't pretend anymore that she didn't know he _did_ mean it, that he _was_ talking about her. If Bella truly wanted to figure out what was between them, she had to acknowledge his efforts for what they were.

"I've missed you, too," she replied shyly, leaning in to him and slipping her arm around his waist. Edward turned enough to wrap both arms around her in a welcomed hug, as Bella's arms slid snugly around his waist. Cheek pressed against his chest, she closed her eyes and didn't make any attempt to move away.

"Next!"

The loud voice drew a grumble of protest from both Bella and Edward, when it became clear it was addressing them. Reluctantly, they parted, but Edward took her hand, apparently refusing to sever all physical contact with her until the last possible minute.

Once they were settled in their cars and the controls were explained to them, the shit-talking started.

"Hope you like looking at my ass, Swan, because that's all you're gonna be able to see of me as I smoke you," Edward tossed at her, cocky grin visible beyond the visor of his helmet.

"Pffft. Cullen, I'm gonna leave you so far behind that you'll need a time machine to catch me," Bella countered with a wave of her hand.

"Whaddya say we make this a little more interesting?"

Bella quirked an eyebrow at him, even though she didn't think he'd be able to see it. "Like how?"

"Like…," he paused for dramatic effect, pretending to look thoughtful before he grinned, "if I win, you have to answer one question of my choosing."

_Danger. Danger! Abort!_

"Fine," Bella told him, and she mentally facepalmed. "And if _I_ win, I get to ask _you_ one question."

"Deal," Edward agreed with a nod.

The flag dropped, and they were off. It didn't seem to matter to either one of them that there were five other racers on the track. In fact, they couldn't care less – their competition was with each other.

The cars were fast, that was for sure, and it took Bella a couple of laps before she really got a feel for it. She got some really good speed on the straight-aways, but she kept squealing her way through the turns – which earned her a time penalty each time. It really didn't surprise her when Edward finished first in their group; Bella was fourth, and narrowed her eyes threateningly at the satisfied smirk he flashed her as they were climbing out of their karts.

"I need to give my question some thought," he informed her, scratching his chin in an effort to look like he was contemplating something of the greatest importance. "I'll wait until both the question and the moment are right. Then I'll ask – and you'll _have_ to tell me the truth."

Bella huffed out a breath and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear in a vain attempt to get it back under control. "We'll see about that."

"Hey, a bet's a bet," Edward crowed. The he grabbed her hand and tugged her back towards the redemption games (which is what Bella had learned the ticket-giving games were called).

They hit skee ball again, then tried a basketball toss game. Edward kicked Bella's ass, quite thoroughly at that one. "How can you be good a skee ball and fail so completely at basketball?" he asked through his laughter. "The aim-and-toss principle is the same."

Bella blinked at him incredulously. "Have you _met _me?"

He burst out laughing anew, and Bella took the mature route: she stuck her tongue out at him.

**---**

_Flashback_

_Resting casually on her elbows, leaning over the counter, Bella thumbed through some random supermarket tabloid one of the customers had left behind. It was so trashy and mind-numbing, but strangely fascinating._

"_Did you know that the number of reported werewolf attacks are on the rise all across the country?" Bella asked, not glancing up from the magazine._

"_Guess we should stock up on silver bullets," Edward scoffed._

"_Clearly," she agreed with a nod. As Bella flipped the page, something bounced off her chest and fell to the counter. _

_A sugar packet._

_Eyebrow arched in warning, Bella slowly lifted her head, her gaze immediately settling on a grinning Edward. "Damn, so close," he said with a laugh. "I was going for the cleavage shot – the way you're leaning over, it's too tempting a target to resist."_

_Automatically, she glanced down and noticed that, indeed, she was inadvertently giving him a show. The way her arms were pressing her boobs together and up, her cleavage was visible at the neckline of her top. _

"_Don't make me sue your ass for sexual harassment," she drawled._

_Edward barked out a laugh. "If you haven't ratted on me for propositioning you every shift, you're not going to report me for trying to toss a sugar package down your shirt."_

_He was right of, course. If he didn't suggest having a quickie in the back room at least once per shift, Bella knew something was wrong. Projectiles being lobbed at her chest was just par for the course, really. _

"_Can I take another shot?" Edward was smiling hopefully, and Bella rolled her eyes._

"_No."_

"_Please, Bella? It's boring as fuck in here tonight. I need a distraction."_

"_Trying to throw supplies down my shirt doesn't constitute a distraction," she informed him dryly._

_Edward sighed, and he absently tossed a sugar packet from one hand to the other. After a minute or so, it appeared he got an idea. Plucking five cups from the Small stack, he built a three-level pyramid on the counter, next to where Bella was still trying to read. _

"_Put that shit down and come here," he urged, looking rather pleased with himself._

_Not having anything better to do, Bella humored him and hopped up on the counter, swung her legs over, and slid off on the other side._

"_Okay, here are the rules," Edward informed her. "You get three sugar packets per turn. The object of the game is to knock down all the cups. You go first."_

_Bella cocked her head and just looked at him for a moment, then shrugged and grabbed her packets. Just as she was about to toss the first one, Edward put his hands on her hips and pulled her backwards several feet. "No, no, no, you're way too close. Move it back, Swan. Make it a real challenge."_

"_You've seen me throw shit before," she pointed out. "Do you __**really**__ think I need the added challenge of being this far away from the target?"_

_Laughing, Edward shook his head. "Stop making excuses and play."_

_She took her turn, and it worked out about as well as she'd expected. The top cup was successfully knocked down, but that was about it. Edward, of course, knocked them all down in two tosses. They played another several rounds, and the best she could manage was to dislodge two cups total._

"_You're really bad at this," he observed, rather too gleefully for Bella's liking._

"_Bite me, Cullen."_

_He snapped his teeth at her and grinned. "Time and place, Swan. Just name it."_

_Bella gave him a rather incredulous look. "Really? That actually works? I mean… __**really**__? Are the girls you date really so pathetic that they fall for that kind of crap?"_

"_Jealous much?" Edward quipped._

_Snorting out a laugh, she rolled her eyes. "In your dreams." _

_Truthfully, though, she was jealous of the girls he dated. Or even the ones who were able to grab his attention and keep it for more than a couple of days. It was sad and pathetic, and she was well aware of that, but it didn't keep it from being a fact._

_He smirked. "Nightly."_

"_Right. I'm done here," Bella announced, dropping the sugar packets back into the container. _

"_Aww, c'mon, Bella, don't be like that," Edward pleaded. "We can do something else, just don't leave me to my own devices. We both know no good could possibly ever come of that."_

_Sadly, he had a pretty valid point. "Fine. What do you suggest?" _

_He appeared thoughtful for a moment, lips pursed slightly as his eyes scanned the contents of the shop. Finally, his gaze settled on the stack of jewel cases by the stereo that fed the sound system. "How 'bout CD Frisbee?"_

_Bella blinked. "Seriously?"_

_Edward was already letting his fingers dance of the spines of the cases. Apparently finding one he thought was Frisbee-worthy and was popping it open to retrieve the disc from inside. "Yeah, seriously. These things fly great."_

"_I hope you realize I'm no better at catching things than I am throwing them," she grumbled. _

"_You don't scare me, Swan," he taunted, motioning for her to move back. _

"_That's because you're an idiot," Bella shot back._

_Crossing the floor until he stood almost on the other side of the store, Edward then turned and threw the disc surprisingly gently. "Taking pity on me all ready," she observed, and snapped the CD out of the air by closing both hands around it. Not the most graceful of catches, but she caught it. With a grin, she tossed it back. Unfortunately, she arched her wrist too much, and it turned on its side, flying only a few feet before landing on the floor and rolling under one of the tables._

"_Ooops," Bella said with a sheepish grin._

_Edward shook his head and chuckled as he retrieved the disc. "Keep your wrist flat and just flick it," he instructed. "Llike you're skipping stones."_

_She arched her eyebrow at him. "What about me would suggest I know how to skip stones?"_

_Snorting, Edward gently tossed the CD back to her. "Good point."_

_It took a while, and lots of patience on Edward's part, but eventually, Bella mostly got the hang of CD Frisbee. She was actually getting pretty confident, and was having a surprisingly good time. Taking her time to make sure her form was right, she flicked her wrist and the disc went flying._

_Unfortunately for Edward, it did so just as something outside the window distracted him for a split second – just long enough for the CD to smack him in the face._

"_Fuck," he cursed, and Bella squeaked in horror as she ran over to him. _

"_Oh my god, Edward, I'm so sorry," she apologized hurriedly, hands fluttering around him helplessly. His own hands were clamped firmly over his left eye, his face scrunched up in obvious pain. "Are you okay? No, of course you're not okay. You got hit in the face with a CD, for fuck sake. I'm so sorry!"_

_Edward withdrew his hands, and Bella's head swam. "Shit," she whispered._

_Blood. _

_She'd sliced him right above his eyebrow, and it was bleeding._

_Taking two quick, stumbling steps backwards, Bella desperately gripped a table to keep herself upright while clamping one hand over her mouth. She was either going to puke or pass out, it was a toss-up._

"_I'm sure it looks worse than it is," Edward grumbled, wincing as he gingerly felt around the area. Only then did he glance over at Bella. His brow furrowed, which made him wince with the pain of stretching the cut. "Bella? You okay?"_

_Closing her eyes, she forced herself to take several deep breaths through her mouth. She couldn't allow herself to breathe through her nose – if she smelled the blood, it would be all over. "I'm not good with blood," she admitted as she lowered herself into a chair, her voice barely above a whisper as she fought for control over her body._

"_You're not gonna faint or anything, are you?" His voice was slightly horrified, which only made Bella feel worse. Silently, she shook her head, but clearly Edward didn't believe her. "Will you be okay if I go into the back and take care of this?" Again, she nodded, not opening her eyes, nor speaking. "Okay. I'll be right back. Just… stay there until I come back."_

_By the time he returned a few minutes later, Bella had calmed down. She was breathing more slowly, she was able to open her eyes, and she didn't feel like her legs were going to give out if she tried to stand. She looked up when Edward approached, and blanched at the large bandage on his forehead._

"_Oh my god," she groaned. "Edward, I am __**so**__ sorry."_

"_Don't worry about it," he assured her with a gentle smile. "Are __**you**__ okay?"_

_Bella swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah. I just don't do well blood," she admitted with a wan smile. "Sorry I was so useless."_

"_I said, don't worry about it," he repeated, slipping his arm around her shoulders and hugging her. "I don't think it'll leave a scar, but if it does, I hear chicks dig that kind of thing."_

_Bella snorted out a laugh, which she suspected had been his goal. Looking up at him, she gave him a crooked smile. "You can't say I didn't warn you."_

**---**

"What have I told you about not sticking out your tongue unless you intend to use it?" Edward asked, a teasing glint in his eye.

A fine, dark eyebrow arched high. "Are you _wanting_ to get your face licked in public?"

"And if I said yes?"

"I'd tell you to get yourself a dog," she snarked (mostly) jokingly. Fortunately for Edward, Bella had spotted the one game in the whole damn indoor entertainment complex she simply couldn't resist: air hockey.

For all of Bella's lack of hand-eye coordination, she rocked at air hockey. She'd grown up playing this game, first with Jake when she'd visit Forks for the summer, and later with Phil, after he'd bought a table for the basement rec room. She was fierce when she played – relentless, take no prisoners. She was known to kick ass and take names. And now? She'd teach Edward a little lesson about the dangers of underestimating the competition.

"Wanna play?" Bella asked, her smile sweet and light as she motioned towards the empty table.

Watching her warily, he nodded and fed the play card into the slot. The table rumbled to life, soft streams of air blowing up through the aerated board. Bella picked up her mallet and weighed it in her hand. "Best two out of three?"

Edward snatched the puck from the slot and set it on the table. "If you think you're up to it," he replied cockily.

As they began the third game, they were tied at one game a piece. Bella wasn't at all surprised to find out Edward could own an air hockey table, but she took great delight in throwing him for a loop and scoring on him first in the second game. The third game, like the two preceding it, were close. Bella and Edward were tied, and the next shot won the game.

Bella figured it was time to up the stakes, a bit. She'd been looking for a way to let Edward know how she felt, without actually having to come out and tell him, and the opportunity was now presenting itself. It was a ballsy move on her part, and one of the scariest things she'd ever considered doing, but she had to do it before she wussed out.

Holding the puck still with her forefinger, she titled her head slight and looked him thoughtfully. "How 'bout a little wager?"

Edward grinned eagerly. "What are the terms?"

"If you win, you get to ask me another question. If _I_ win," she began slowly, biding her time as she casually lined up her shot, "you take me to the New Year's Eve party."

Predictably, his forehead creased in confusion. Alice had informed the group that she'd arranged for them all to attend one of the big, fancy New Year's Eve parties held in Seattle, but she wouldn't tell them where. It was a given that they were going, so Edward's confusion was understandable. He didn't lift his eyes from the table, though, waiting for her next shot. "I already assumed we'd be going together."

"True," Bella admitted, trying to keep her hand from trembling as she gently nudged the puck around with her mallet. Taking a deep breath, she blurted out the rest. "But if I win, I want it to be a capital-D-_date_."

Edward's head snapped up, and Bella took advantage of his distraction to slap the puck down the table, where it fell into his goal with a victorious clatter. "Game," she pointed out sweetly, motioning to the scoreboard.

Bella tried her hardest not to squirm under Edward's intense gaze as she wondered if she'd just made the biggest mistake of her life. He was watching her carefully, the barest trace of a smile on his lips. He left his mallet on the board, and walked towards her. Gnawing on her lower lip, she stuck her hands in her pockets to keep from fidgeting. When Edward stopped a step away from her and leaned his hip against the table, she tipped her chin up defiantly, as if daring him to say anything, but she had to force herself to look him in the eye.

"I guess you just won yourself a date." The smile that spread across Edward's face was blinding, and Bella shoved him lightly and took a step away from him.

"Ugh. Like your already over-inflated ego needed to get any bigger. You're gonna be impossible now, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," he assured her, his grin and tone matching in their smugness. "Because _Bella Swan_ wants to go on a date with _me_."

"Yeah, well, don't let it go to your head. I've heard this Bella Swan character's got low standards and a masochistic streak a mile wide," she informed him dryly before turning and sauntering back towards the main arcade area.

Her heart was racing as the realization of what she'd done truly sunk in. She'd coerced him into taking her on a date. Fuck, how stupid could she be? Not that he seemed to mind, but god. What had she been thinking? Did he even really _want_ to take her out? Yes, he'd almost kissed her once, but that didn't mean he wanted to _date_ her. Maybe he just wanted to fool around – a friends-with-benefits kind of thing?

And oh, how Bella's stomach twisted and lurched delightfully at the thought of messing around with Edward. Of having those gorgeous hands moving over her body, his mouth… Guh.

Quite frankly, she thought she just might almost be willing to take whatever he wanted to offer. How pathetic was that? The answer was 'very', but Bella couldn't seem to bring herself to care. Besides, she'd essentially shown her hand; she didn't really have anything to lose, now.

Lost deep in thought as she walked, she didn't get far before a familiar arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Oh, no you don't," Edward told her, holding her close as they walked. "You're not getting away from me that easily." Bella rolled her eyes and nudged him with her shoulder. As if she was trying. "So, New Year's, huh? That should give me enough time to prepare."

Bella quirked an eyebrow at him. "Prepare for what? Alice has made all the arrangements. We pretty much just need to show up when and where she tells us."

His smile was mischievous, and it made her suspicious, immediately. "Oh, Bella, Bella, Bella," Edward teased with a shake of his head. "You think I wouldn't put any thought or effort into this just because Alice is dictating where we go? You know me better than that." He leaned down and spoke into her ear, brushing the shell lightly with his lips. "I'm going to make sure it's a night we never forget."

Bella shuddered slightly, both at his words and how close he was. He was going to kill her, she just knew it. But god, it could be one hell of a way to go.

It was surprisingly late when Edward finally escorted Bella back to her room, but neither one of them had seemed eager to see the night come to an end. They'd earned enough prize tickets that they'd been able to choose a couple of pretty cool toys, which explained the giant, dark purple teddy bear Bella was carrying. At its full height, it was nearly as tall as she was, and it was going to have a place of honor in her room. She just wasn't entirely sure _where_.

When Bella opened the door, they were greeted by a perturbed-looking Alice. Sitting on the foot of Bella's bed, arms folded over her chest, legs crossed at the knee and one foot bouncing restlessly, she glared at them as she stepped into the room.

"Hey," Bella said hesitantly, shooting Edward a look. He simply shrugged, and took the teddy bear from her to set it on her desk chair. It barely fit.

"Hey? _Hey?_ That's all you have to say to me?"

"Um… how was your night?" Bella tried again.

Alice gaped for a moment, then snapped her mouth shut. "_How was your night_, she asks," she repeated to herself, glaring up at the ceiling. "How was my night? My night sucked, because I couldn't stop worrying about my best friend being cooped up in our room, all alone, studying on a Saturday night. I made Jazz bring me home early, so I could keep you company." Bella winced, now seeing exactly where this was going. "Imagine my surprise when I walk in and you're not here."

The way Alice jumped to her feet and growled the last three words made Bella take a step backwards. "I'm sorry," she began quickly, but Edward cut her off.

"Don't blame Bella," he told Alice firmly. "I came over and basically kidnapped her. I didn't give her a choice. So if you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at me."

Little hands planted firmly on her hips, Alice glared from Edward to Bella and back again. "That's why you took off earlier? To drag her out?"

Nodding, Edward offered a crooked smile. "You were going on about how sad it was making you to see her holed up in here night after night, and I missed hanging out with her, so…," he finished with a shrug. "She needed the break, and we both know it."

"Um, _she_'s still in the room," Bella interjected, waving at them.

"I'm sorry, Alice," Edward continued. "I should've told you what I was planning, so you wouldn't worry."

Bella blinked at Edward. "What the fuck?" Then she turned to Alice. "What, are you my _mother_ now?"

"No, but _some_body needs to look out for you," Alice shot back. "And as your best friend and roommate, that's _my _job."

Sighing, Bella shook her head, and the two girls continued staring at each other. After a moment, Edward cleared his throat.

"Um, yeah," he said slowly. "I think I'm gonna just… go." Taking his life in his hands, he gave Alice a quick hug, then turned to Bella and winked. When he hugged her tight, he whispered in her ear, "I'd piss her off again in a second if it meant getting to spend time with you."

Bella's cheeks burned with her blush, and she bit her lower lip as she playfully shoved him away. "Go home," she said with a laugh. "And thank you. I had a lot of fun."

"So did I," he assured her, stroking her cheek softly. "G'night, Alice. Bella."

Almost as soon as the door clicked shut, Alice pounced. "Tell me _every_thing," she urged with a grin, clearly forgetting that she'd been ready to rip both Bella and Edward a new one not two minutes earlier. "Where'd he take you? What did you do? Did he buy that," she motioned at the purple bear, "for you? Oh my god, that's so romantic! C'mon, Bella, tell meeeee!"

Biting the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning, Bella shrugged nonchalantly. "It was no big deal. We went to some place called the Playdium. We played video games and stuff, drove go karts, played a round of mini golf, and came home."

By the look on Alice's face, Bella knew she wasn't buying it. "That's _it_?"

"More or less," Bella confirmed. But then the grin broke free, and she looked down at the floor. "Oh. And Edward and I are going on a date."

Alice screamed and threw herself at Bella, wrapping her arms around her and knocking them both back onto Bella's bed. "Bella! When, where, what? Did I say 'when'? How? When did he ask you? How did he ask you? Was it all romantic?"

Laughing, Bella looked up at the ceiling, unable to wipe the stupid smile from her lips. "New Year's Eve, wherever you've got us going. And I actually asked him." Alice gasped and then squealed again. "Well, I sorta asked him. I kinda made it my prize if I won our game of air hockey."

Alice blinked and released her hold on Bella before she sat up. "You what?"

Bella bit her lip again and ducked her head sheepishly. "I made it a bet."

Clearly, Alice was trying to absorb that little tidbit, and Bella squirmed in the ensuing silence. Finally Alice's face split into another grin. "Doesn't matter. He still said yes, which means he _wants_ to take you on a date."

That was pretty much what Bella was going on, so she nodded.

"You're going on a date with Edward Cullen!" Alice screamed before tackling Bella again. "Say it. Say it out loud!"

Bella grinned, then threw back her head and shouted, "I'm going on a date with Edward Cullen!" Then she dissolved into squeals and giggles with her best friend.

It was possibly the single most girly moment of her entire life. And she loved it.

* * *

**_Hopefully I've at least somewhat redeemed myself over the last chapter. Let me know what you think! :)_**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"To the end of the semester," Bella called out over the music, holding her shot glass high. "Thank fuck we survived!"

Five other voices joined hers with a resounding shout of, "Cheers!"

Tossing back his shot, Edward slammed the glass down and, unsurprisingly, found his gaze on Bella as she laughed with Alice and Rose about something the boys weren't privy to. She looked more relaxed than he'd seen her in weeks, and he was relieved to see it; he'd been getting worried, as obsessed as she'd been with finals. He understood and admired her drive, but she'd have to learn to balance things a little more evenly, or she'd burn herself out before the end of the academic year.

Which was one of the reasons he'd been so insistent about getting her out for some fun the other night. He'd known taking her to Playdium would be perfect - she'd be able to unwind and vent her frustrations on the games.

What Edward hadn't been expecting was the way the night had somehow become one of the best of his life. Getting to see Bella fresh from the shower in nothing but that little robe had been a phenomenal start. He was positive she had no clue just how sexy she'd looked to him, just how thoroughly she managed to deprive his brain of much-needed blood. Which was the only explanation he could come up with for his comment about her and her underwear in his bed.

The thing was, he'd meant it. _God_, but he'd meant it. He'd loved waking up next to her. Ever since the night of the Trivial Pursuit drinking game, he'd been trying to come up with an excuse to get Bella to spend the night again.

Now, though, things were different. The dynamics of their relationship had changed ever since the moment Bella set the winning terms of their air hockey battle. To say she'd taken him off guard would be the understatement of the century. But he couldn't have been more thrilled.

Because now, Edward _knew_. He knew that he wasn't setting himself up for disappointment. He knew that Bella was, at the very least, interested in him enough to go on a date with him – hell, to actually beat him to the punch and ask _him_ out. And that knowledge gave him hope that just maybe, sooner rather than later, they'd maybe have a sleepover that would involve a decided lack of underwear.

That line of thinking, however, needed to cease and desist. He didn't get to take her out until New Year's Eve, and he was worried the wait was going to kill him. He wanted to take her out _now_, wanted let know how much he cared, how beautiful he thought she was, how much he wanted her.

Instead, they were all gathered at Jasper and Emmett's apartment, having some pre-club drinks before they headed out for an evening of dancing and letting loose.

"Before we go," Rosalie said loudly, interrupting Edward's train of thought, "I want to give you guys part of your Christmas presents."

As Rose retrieved a stack of envelopes from the entertainment unit behind her, each of their names scrawled elegantly across one, Edward slipped behind the others and crossed the room so that he was standing beside Bella. "Any idea what she's got up her sleeve?"

Bella shook her head. "Nope, no clue," she admitted as she leaned against him. They didn't have to wait long. Once the envelopes were passed out, they were torn open to reveal ID cards.

Fake IDs, and good ones, at that.

"Babe, these are awesome," Emmett exclaimed with a wide grin. "How'd you score these?"

Rose shrugged and replied simply, "I know a guy who knows a guy."

"My girlfriend is fucking amazing," he announced, hugging her tight and kissing her hard.

"So I guess this means we're going to a different bar tonight?" Edward stated, not really making it a question, as he casually draped his arm around Bella's shoulders.

"You fucking know it," Rosalie grinned. "And I know juuuust the place."

The club Rose had chosen was fairly busy, but not packed. There were three levels, each with its own bar and dance floor. The top floor seemed the quietest, so that's where they decided to set up camp for the evening. Shots were tossed back, and Edward could feel all the stress and tension of the past couple of weeks slip away. The only thing that could make the night better was if he could spend the whole time with Bella at his side. Or in his arms.

Apparently, fate had different ideas. A new song started, and a squealing Alice dragged Bella and Rosalie out onto the dance floor, leaving the guys to their own devices. Edward signaled for another round of drinks, and then he returned his attention to Bella. As if sensing his eyes on her, she looked up at him and smiled, holding his eyes for a moment as she moved with the music. He knew a stupid grin was splitting his face, but he didn't much care.

"So dude," Emmett began slowly, watching Edward watch Bella. "You tappin' that yet?"

"Em, Jesus," Jasper groaned with a roll of his eyes. "Learn some tact, man." He looked at Edward and inclined his head slightly in apology for their friend. "What Meathead McCarty meant to ask was, how're things going with Bella?"

Edward considered what to tell them. This kind of conversation wasn't something the three of them indulged in often. The topic seemed to suck the testosterone right out of the room, when they did.

"Good," he finally replied, smiling crookedly as he picked up the shot that was placed in front of him by the bartender. "We're going on a date."

From the corner of his eye, Edward saw his two friends exchange an incredulous look.

"Whaddya mean, you're going on a date?" Emmett asked. "What the fuck've you guys been _doing_ for two months?"

"_Not_ dating," Edward replied, his tone warning Emmett not to push things.

Jasper tossed back his shot and set down his glass before clapping Edward on the back. "Good man," he said. "I don't know Bella as well as you do, obviously, but from what Alice has told me, you've been doing the right thing by taking things slow." He smirked. "You can't afford to fuck up again."

"Don't I know it," Edward grumbled.

The song changed, apparently to something that didn't meet with Alice's approval, because the girls rejoined them far sooner than Edward had expected. Jasper ordered them a round, so they could catch up, and then another round for all of them.

Perched on the edge of a stool, Bella watched the crowd, bobbing her head in time with the beat of the music pulsing through the building. Unable to resist being nearer to her, Edward sidled up to her and lightly rested his hand on her lower back. She shivered slightly, and he couldn't hide his grin.

"Having fun?"

She nodded, tilting her head back to peer up at him a bright smile on her face. "Yup. You?"

"I'm having a better time now," he admitted, and even under the colored lights of the club, he could detect her blush.

The drinks arrived, and the girls downed theirs on a three-count, then slammed the glasses onto the bar in perfect unison. It was rather amusing to watch. The guys gave the girls a couple of minutes to recover, then the six of them pounded back another round.

The flush on Bella's cheeks now seemed permanent thanks to the alcohol; she looked adorable and sexy, and he needed her even closer. Dipping his head, Edward nuzzled the hair back from her temple so he could speak into her ear. "Dance with me?"

Without a word, Bella slid off the stool and held her hand out for him to take, which he did before leading her out to the dance floor. Besides the night of their reunion, when they'd shared just a few moments as partners and she hadn't even known it was him, they'd never danced together.

Edward placed his hands on her hips, the thumbs of each hand finding the hem of her shirt and slipping underneath to stroke against her warm, smooth skin. Reaching up to link her hands behind his neck, Bella caused her top to lift up, exposing even more skin to his greedy hands. They slid up slightly so that there was no fabric between them and Bella, his thumbs now tracing the sensual dip of her waist.

They moved together well, he was thrilled to note. Not that Edward was surprised, since they always seemed so in synch, but further proof of their connection was always nice. He lost track of how many songs they danced to, lost in the feel of her in his arms, breasts pressed against his chest, hips swaying in perfect rhythm.

Whoever had said dancing was simply vertical sex with your clothes on was absolutely right.

When one of Bella's hands crept upward and she wove her fingers into his hair, Edward couldn't help the soft moan that escaped as he pressed his head back into her touch. Message apparently received loud and clear, she ran her fingers through his hair, randomly alternating between tugging, gently scratching his scalp, and soothing strokes. It took all his self control to keep from pressing his hips more firmly against her stomach in a desperate search for friction, for pressure to relieve the delicious ache that had been steadily growing in his groin.

"You look so gorgeous tonight," he whispered, his lips brushing her cheek lightly. Edward was close enough that he could feel her breath catch at his admission, and he grinned into her neck.

In a smoother transition than he would have thought possible considering his partner was, well, _Bella_, he spun her so that her back was to his front, and he drew her backwards until she was flush against him. He fought the urge to clamp her hips still so he could grind against her ass, and almost lost the battle when she raised her arm and arched her back slightly as she reached back to curl her hand around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair once again.

Edward allowed one of his hands to wander, sliding up and over so that is was resting on the hot skin of her stomach. He could feel her muscles contract at his touch, and he hissed in a breath as she gripped his thigh tightly, her short nail pressing through his jeans and setting his skin on fire.

Unconsciously, he pulled Bella in closer, and couldn't stop himself before he'd pressed himself hard against her lower back. His alcohol-fogged brain couldn't seem to process that it was a bad idea to bump and grind against Bella, especially when she was pushing her perfect little butt back, increasing their contact and driving him absolutely mad. He was so hard it _hurt_. There was no way she couldn't feel it, no way she didn't realize what she was doing to him.

He couldn't believe this was Bella. She wasn't _that_ drunk, was she? No, he didn't think she was...

"Has anyone ever told you you're evil?" Edward murmured into her ear, rocking his hips against her ass.

"Hmmmm," Bella hummed, turning her head slightly and giving him a smile that was so sexy he almost dragged her off the dance floor right then and there so he could ravage her in some dark corner of the club. "Maybe a time or two. Why? You complaining?" She rolled her hips in a circle, pressing back against him firmly.

_Fuck. Me._

Edward swallowed and shook his head, part in disbelief and part in appreciation. Ply her with some shots and get her on the dance floor, and suddenly Bella turned into a fucking sex kitten. She was going to kill him, there was no question about it.

"Never," he told her roughly. The hand not pawing her stomach slid down, over the curve of her hip to her upper thigh. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"

"I think I have a vague idea," she replied with a low, sexy chuckle as she pushed herself against the very obvious proof of his arousal.

"Bella," he growled in warning. "Unless you want me to drag you into a corner and fuck you senseless, you'd better stop."

And stop she did. In fact, she froze completely, then tried to pull away from him.

_Shit. Too far, asshole, you pushed it way too fucking far! _

Edward loosened his hold on her only enough to turn her around so he could see her face. Her eyes were downcast, cheeks bright red, and she was biting her lower lip.

_Fuck._

"I'm sorry," he whispered, ducking his head to try to catch her eyes. "Bella… look at me, please?"

With obvious reluctance, she looked up, watching him through her eyelashes. From anyone else, Edward would think it was an act, a ploy to further wrap him around her little finger. But he knew Bella better than that, and knew that she was horribly embarrassed. Tenderly, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Please don't do that," he implored, using his thumb to gently release her lip from between her teeth. "I'm sorry, Bella. I got carried away. Please don't be mad. And please don't be embarrassed – you have nothing to be embarrassed about. You didn't do anything wrong, I just let my inner pig escape for a minute there. Really, I'm sorry. I was way out of line."

Silently, she nodded, and dropped her eyes again.

"You're just..," Edward raked his hand through his hair, frustrated one multiple levels. "Fuck, you really have no clue how sexy you are, do you?"

Bella's eyes, even darker in the club lighting than usual, snapped up to his again and she snorted out a laugh. "Yuh-huh," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Megan Fox's got nothing on me."

"Megan Fox is trashy, not sexy," he scoffed. He knew millions of guys argue with him on that, but he couldn't help it. "She's harsh and scary looking." Edward stroked the backs of his hands down Bella's burning cheek. "You... you're beautiful and sexy without even trying."

Clearly, she didn't believe him, and considering the girls she'd seen him with in the past, he honestly could understand how she might be skeptical. But surely she realized he'd changed, though, right?

**---**

_Flashback_

_"C'mon, Eddie, please?"_

_Inwardly cringing at the much-hated nickname, Edward tried to actually pay attention to what Jessica was whining at him. Something about dinner with a bunch of people somewhere in P.A., he thought, but he wasn't sure._

_"You'll have a good time, I promise," she continued, batting her eyes at him. "You can meet my boyfriend, Mike." Edward felt his lips twitch. Mike. The dork who'd been pining after Bella not all that long ago. He remembered hearing that he'd finally given in and asked Jessica out._

_"I don't know, Jess," he hedged, searching the shop for any sign of Bella. She'd save him, wouldn't she?_

_"Bella's coming, too."_

_That got Edward's attention. Bella, voluntarily spending time with Jessica? Not fucking likely._

_"Oh yeah?" _

_"Absolutely," Jess agreed, ponytail bobbing as she nodded. The door behind him opened, and Jessica pounced. "Bella!"_

_Looking up from her clipboard, Bella arched an eyebrow in question. "Yeah?"_

_"You're coming tonight, right?"_

_Her eyes narrowed. "Coming... where, exactly?"_

_Edward muffled a laugh. Yeah, just as he'd thought. Jessica was full of shit, as usual._

_"To dinner, silly," Jess said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You know, the whole gang from school's going, and I thought it could be cool for Eddie to come, too."_

_Bella smirked and glanced over at Edward. "Oh wow, that __**does**__ sound like fun, doesn't it, __**Eddie**__?"_

_Biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, he simply shrugged, not trusting himself to speak._

_"Bella, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jessica asked, tone suddenly much cooler than a second ago. "Alone?"_

_Without giving Bella a chance to answer, Jessica wrapped her hand around Bella's arm and dragged her off to the far corner of the shop. Bella was cursing and trying to break free, but apparently Jess was stronger than she looked._

_Edward made no attempt to hide the fact that he was watching them carefully, and he found the play of emotions across Bella's face intriguing. They were clearly arguing about something, and he was dying to know just what that was. There was a flash of something in Bella's eyes (pain? sadness?) that made his stomach clench, and her gaze jumped to him for a moment before looking back an Jessica. She said something he couldn't catch, and then Jessica was hugging her. The look of horror on Bella's face had him swallowing a bark of laughter._

_Extricating herself from the other girl's embrace, Bella hurried back to the counter. "See you guys tonight," Jessica called as she practically skipped out of the shop. Finally, Edward could let himself laugh._

_"What the fuck was that all about?"_

_Bella sighed. "Do you want to come to dinner with us tonight?"_

_Edward narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to figure out the angle. "You're actually going?"_

_"Yeah," she replied with a shrug. "A couple of people I actually don't hate are going to be there - namely Alice, and Angela and her boyfriend Ben, and I don't get to see them much outside of school, so..."_

_"Bella," he began slowly, "what aren't you telling me?"_

_"Nothing," she huffed. "It's just a bunch of people from school who are getting together for a big night out in the grand metropolis that is Port Angeles." The sarcasm was fairly dripping from her words._

_"You're really going?" At her nod, Edward sighed. "Fine. If you're going, I'll be there." He looped his arm around her neck in a loose headlock. "Anything to spend more time with you, Swan."_

_Bella laughed, clearly not realizing he was serious._

_Later than night, Edward showed up at the Wild Fire Grill just a few minutes after the determined meeting time. He spotted the large group of teens just as the hostess was offering to help him with anything, "anything at all." Making a bee-line for the tables that had been pushed together, his eyes landed on the back of Bella's head. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and he couldn't resist the expanse of pale skin left bare at the base of her neck. Stepping up behind her, he lay his cold hand against her neck, laughing as she jumped. Spinning in her seat, she gave him a dirty look._

_"Jesus, Cullen," she grumbled. But her lips were twitching, so he knew she wasn't really upset. _

_He was about to settle into the seat next to hers, until he noticed a purse sitting on it. "What, you couldn't save me a seat?" Edward smiled crookedly and gently tugged a long curl that had escaped her bun._

_"You can sit next to me," a voice called out, and Edward cringed internally, not needing to look up to know who it was._

_Lauren. Wonderful._

_Go out with a girl a couple of times, mess around a bit, and she thinks you love her._

_Edward glanced down at Bella to see that she suddenly seemed to find the menu fascinating. He had to admit, he was a little hurt - and confused. Why was she ignoring him now?_

_Reluctantly, Edward walked the length of the table, plastering a winning smile on his face as he lowered himself into the chair next to Lauren. Unfortunately, it was on the same side of the table as Bella was sitting, so he couldn't even look at her without making it really obvious._

_Introductions were made, meals were ordered, and Edward was ready to take his fork to his ear drums if Lauren and Jessica didn't stop nattering at him. Lauren, at least, was a really pretty girl, and yeah, when he'd first met her, she'd been his type: tall, blond, rail thin, and beautiful. At some point, however, his type seemed to have changed, because he didn't find Lauren nearly as attractive as he once had. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was a nasty bitch, and barely had enough brain power to walk and chew gum at the same time._

_Fortunately, when they'd been in the backseat of his car those few times, she hadn't needed to multi-task._

_Now, though, the thought of fooling around with her left Edward feeling empty. He wanted a girl he could have an actual conversation with, someone he could laugh and have fun with. Someone he connected with on a level other than physically._

_A loud laugh from down the table drew his eye to Bella. Alice, Bella, and the girl he now knew as Angela were laughing at, trying to cover their mouths to keep quiet, and failing miserably. Just watching Bella having fun with her girlfriends brought a smile to his face. And then he was yanked rudely back to the reality of his present company, as Lauren leaned against him and purred into his ear. _

_"I don't have to go home tonight," she told him leadingly. "My mom thinks I'm spending the night with Jess..."_

_The hormonal teenage part of Edward cheered at the blatant proposition, but the other Edward, the part of him that had become much louder lately, informed him that if he so much as considered it, he was a fucking idiot._

_Another peel of laughter rang out, and Edward's eyes lit on Bella once again._

_"Sorry, Lauren," he said, not bothering to look at her as he rejected her, "I don't think it's a good idea."_

_Watching Bella laugh and smile made him realize that cute little brunettes who were fluent in sarcasm and had a serious case of potty mouth, who were easy to talk to and who could always make him smile, who were his friend above all else, were now his type._

_He just didn't have a fucking clue what to do about it._

_After dessert, everyone poured out into the parking lot, grouping off according to who rode with who. Edward managed to grab Bella's arm and steer her away from the crowd._

_"Are you going to tell me what this was all about?" His voice was low and measured, not yet wanting to let her know just how irritated he was._

_Bella shrugged, expression guarded. "Lauren likes you, you obviously like Lauren. According to Jessica, Lauren's been wanting to see you again for a while, so they orchestrated this big group outing."_

_Edward's eyes narrowed slightly and he let out an annoyed breath."Did you ever stop to think that maybe I've been avoiding Lauren because I __**don't**__ like her?" _

_"Huh?" Her brow furrowed in obvious confusion._

_He tried really hard to keep his temper. This was Bella. He didn't want to rip her head off. Of course, maybe it was the fact that it was__** Bella**__ who thought he was interested in Lauren that was pissing him off._

_"I went out with Lauren a couple of times," he admitted, "but that was months ago. She's...," Edward grasped for an adjective that would accurately describe her, but came up lacking._

_"A Barbie bitch who's got the brain power of a goldfish?"_

_He snorted at Bella's offering, and nodded. "Yeah that works." Running his hand through his hair, Edward looked down at her. "You hate Lauren and Jess. Why would you even consider going out with them?"_

_Bella shrugged. "If Alice and Ange weren't going to be there, I wouldn't have gone," she admitted. _

_He believed her, but something still wasn't sitting right. "What did Jessica say to you to get you to convince me to come?"_

_Leaning against the brick wall of the restaurant, she sighed and stuck her hands in her pockets. "Nothing, really," she muttered. "Just some shit about being a crappy friend if I let you miss out on this chance to hook up with Lauren again."_

_Somehow, Edward suspected she wasn't being completely forthcoming with him, but he knew better than to push her. If she was keeping something from him, she had her reasons._

_"You know the only reason I came was to spend time with you," he admitted. When her eyes snapped up to his, he hurriedly added, "And Alice. And to meet the infamous Angela and Ben. I mean, you obviously have outstanding taste in friends," he pretended to buff his nails against his shirt, which had the desired effect of making Bella laugh, "so I figured they couldn't be that bad."_

_"Seriously, there's no limit to your ego, is there?"_

_"Nope," he assured her with a grin._

_"Bella, c'mon, Ange needs to get home," Alice hollered, standing in front of her cute little VW Beetle. Angela and Ben were there as well, holding hands and smiling adoringly at each other. Edward couldn't deny that he was more than a little envious of the ease of their relationship._

_"Gotta go," Bella told him, jerking her thumb towards her waiting friends. "See you Tuesday night?"_

_Edward nodded, reluctant to see her go. "Y'know, if you wanted to go... I don't know, do something," he began awkwardly, "I could... y'know, take you home later. If you want, I mean." _

_His heart pounded in his chest as he realized that he was asking Bella a lot more than to just spend some time with him. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he watched as she worried her lower lip. Casting a glance back Alice's way, she sighed, and he felt his stomach knot in anticipation of what was to come. _

_"I can't," she told him, and he honestly could hear regret in her voice. Somehow, though, that didn't make him feel any better. _

_"Hey, no problem," he said with forced cheerful indifference. "You'd better go before Alice paces a hole in the asphalt." _

_Bella snorted out a laugh and nodded. "Yeah, patience is not one of Alice's many admirable qualities," she drawled._

_Before she could move away, Edward pulled her into a hug. "You ever try to fix me up like that again, Swan, I'll kick your ass," he told her with mock fierceness._

_She laughed, but it seemed a little forced. "Don't worry about it," Bella promised him with a wry grin. "My matchmaking days are over before they ever really began. Later, Edward."_

_"G'night, Bella," he said, smiling softly at her retreating form._

_Well, fuck. That was embarrassing. Fortunately, it seemed like Bella hadn't figured out he was asking her to hang out as more than just a friend. Of course, why would she suspect? He took himself by surprise, for godsake._

_Sighing loudly, Edward walked to his car, kicking at random pebbles and stones that were in his path._

_Fuck. What the hell was he supposed to do now?_

**---**

He didn't know how she could doubt it, considering his very obvious reaction to her body against his, but Edward vowed to make sure that some day soon, she would understand just how genuinely he'd meant it.

"Want to get another drink?" Bella suggested, obviously uncomfortable and wanting to change the subject. He did want a drink, but he didn't want to let this go. But maybe, for the time being, it would be for the best.

The pair found a booth towards the back of the third floor, one big enough for everyone, should they decide to join them. After nursing a couple more drinks each, the awkwardness between them seemed to have dissipated. So when Alice and Jasper arrived with a tray of shot glasses, things were back to normal. Rose and Emmett were close behind, carrying a small bowl of lime wedges and a salt shaker.

"Tequila shots?" Bella questioned in a tone akin to fearful.

"Yup," Alice grinned, setting down the try of drinks. "I know how much you _love_ Tequila." Edward arched an eyebrow in amusement as he watched the exchange. Clearly, he was missing something. Noticing his questioning gaze, Alice grinned at him. "Bella and Tequila are old friends, and not always on speaking terms. The last time we did shots –"

"Shut it, Alice," Bella ordered.

"The last time we did Tequila shots, our dear Bella ended up sucking face with –"

"Alice, I swear to god –"

Edward didn't know if he wanted to hear the end of that story or not. Luckily, or maybe not, Bella's last warning seemed to have the desired effect.

"Okay, okay," Alice laughed, pecking Bella on the cheek and then winked at her. "Your secret's safe with me."

Leaning down towards Bella's ear, he spoke softly, "Would I find that story interesting?" The instant blazing of her cheeks was the only answer he needed, and he grinned. "Then I'm going to get it out of you eventually."

"Over my dead body," she grumbled.

"We aren't just doing Tequila shots," Emmett announced happily. "We're doing Tequila _body_ shots."

Edward's eyebrows climbed at that little tidbit of information as his brain struggled to catch up and consider all the possibilities there. No matter what, the outcome resulted in him getting to lick some part of Bella's body, which could only be good.

"I'm game if you are," he said to Bella, his lips quirked in a lopsided grin. He didn't want to get his hopes up too much, but…

"You're on," she grinned at him, apparently taking it as a challenge.

Excellent.

The other four were wasting no time whatsoever getting into the swing of things. There was licking and salting and citrus sucking galore. Despite how un-manly it was, Edward couldn't keep from shuddering slightly at the thought of Bella's tongue on him. _Any_where on him.

"Ladies first," he offered, sweeping his hand towards the tools of the trade.

Picking up the salt shaker, Bella cocked her head as she considered where best to salt him up. Edward could think of a few choice locations her could suggest to her, but those would likely get them arrested for public nudity and mischief. Finally, she held out her hand.

"Gimme your arm," she ordered, apparently having decided on one of the safer locations.

He obliged, and his pants got decidedly tighter as she lifted his wrist towards her mouth. Bella's eyes latched onto his, and she swept her wet, pink little tongue up the underside of his wrist. Edward was completely unable to muffle the growl of want that rumbled from deep within him. With a wicked grin, Bella flicked the tip of her tongue over his pulse point, causing his fingers to twitch, before pulling back and sprinkling the salt on his wet skin. He took the lime wedge gently between his teeth, pulpy side out, and held his breath.

It looked like Bella was steeling herself for what was about to happen, and then she clenched her eyes shut, tossed back the shot, and slammed the glass down with a grimace. Quickly, she grabbed Edward's arm and licked off the salt, then carefully moved in for the lime. The tip of her nose brushed hers as she delicately took the lime in her teeth. Tequila-scented breath wafted into his nose and mouth, and he wanted to be able to drink her in. He felt a gentle tug, and he obediently released his hold on the lime, watching as Bella drew it into her mouth and sucked, hard.

After a few seconds, she spat the lime into the empty glass and shook her head. "Ugh," she grunted, blinking rapidly as if to keep tears at bay.

"You okay?" Edward asked with a chuckle. He rubbed her back as she tried to compose herself. After a moment, she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she assured him. Taking a deep breath, Bella quirked an eyebrow at him. "Your turn."

He didn't need to be told twice.

"Stand up," he instructed, placing his hands on her hips to guide her out of the booth. Confusion was evident in her eyes, and Edward smirked as he slid to the end of the bench. Carefully, he lifted the hem of her shift, exposing her pale stomach. There, just above the waistband of her jeans, was his goal – the slight protrusion of her hip bone. "Lean back on the table a bit."

After placing the lime between her lips, she set her hands behind her obediently. The look on her face as she gazed down her body at him made Edward groan. She really didn't know understand the power she had over him.

Closing his eyes to savor the moment, he dragged his tongue leisurely up her hip and stomach. From his position, there was no way he couldn't feel the way she trembled. Reluctantly, he pulled back and sprinkled the wet trail with salt. The Tequila was next, and he took the shot like an old pro. He returned to her hip, swirling his tongue as he lapped the salt off her skin, and he tightened his hands into fists at the sound of her soft gasp. If he let himself touch her, he couldn't be held responsible for his actions.

Sliding up her body, Edward silently pleaded with Bella to open her eyes. When she did, he noted they were heavy-lidded, and her pupils were dilated in what he wanted to believe was arousal. He held her gaze as he leaned in for the lime, licking his lips before he reached it. He wasn't as gentle as Bella had been. Closing his mouth over the fruit slice, he used his tongue to draw it further into his mouth before darting it out to lick the trace of juice from her lips.

It was physically painful for him to step away from her, but he forced himself to do just that. Huge dark eyes blinked at him, her expression an enticing mixture of surprise, amusement, and – this time there was no question in Edward's mind – arousal.

"You play dirty, Cullen," she informed him, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched him. Grinning, he shrugged.

"Too good of an opportunity to let it pass me by," he replied.

Jasper was busy drinking a puddle of Tequila from the hollow of Alice's collar bone (which was an intriguing idea… maybe Edward could try that one with Bella…), and Rose and Emmett had abandoned the shots and were making out in a darker area slightly behind their booth.

Edward grinned at Bella. "You up for another one?"

Without a word, she picked up the salt shaker and closed the small distance between them. She placed her small hand on his chest and urged him backwards, until his legs hit the end of the bench and he was forced to sit down. There was a gleam in Bella's eyes that both intrigued and frightened him.

"Hmmm," she mused, tapping her forefinger against her lips. "So many options." After some more contemplation, and he honestly couldn't tell whether it was genuine or an act, she stepped forward and placed one hand on the table, and the other on the back of the booth, effectively caging him with her body. Intentional or not, that resulted in Bella's breasts being at eye level, and he couldn't help but look. "Ahem," she said with a soft chuckle. "My eyes are up here."

Grinning sheepishly, Edward lifted his eyes, and felt the gentle pressure of her fingers tipping his head up and back. He settled his hands on her hips once again, as Bella held out the lime for him to take. Then she placed her hand back on the table and leaned down, drawing her nose lightly along the side of his neck. "You always smell so good," she murmured, and Edward realized that the shots were definitely affecting her, possibly more so than he'd thought. Because normally, he knew she wouldn't say something like that. But then most of his thoughts ceased as she slowly licked her way up his neck, pausing to suck oh-so-lightly at the spot just behind his jaw. He whimpered in the back of his throat, and his fingers clutched at her.

Bella pulled back and covered the wet line up his neck with salt before taking her shot. Her tongue felt greedy as it returned to his neck, cleaning the salt thoroughly before going for the lime.

It wasn't pre-meditated. It was an idea that occurred to him suddenly, and Edward couldn't help but act on it.

As Bella swooped in to snare the lime from his lips, he opened his mouth and let the wedge drop back and inside. The citrus barrier gone, her unsuspecting lips, parted to receive the lime, collided directly with his. They were warm and soft, and tasted of salt and Tequila. He felt her jolt of surprise, but was determined to make the best of this. He moved his lips gently against hers, hands sliding up and encircling her waist, and he nearly wept when she responded. Her movements were tentative, but he didn't care.

He was kissing Bella Swan.

Kind of.

Unfortunately, trying to steal first while a lime wedge was in one's mouth wasn't quite as pleasant as one might think. No sooner had Bella begun to respond was Edward gently shoving the lime through his lips and into her mouth. It should have struck him as gross, but instead he concentrated on the intimacy of such an act. That made is so much better.

Bella pulled back with a start, eyes wide as her hand flew to her mouth, withdrawing the lime as her cheeks turned crimson. Grinning, Edward stroked his thumbs under her shirt, along the ridiculously silky skin at her waist. "Sorry, couldn't resist," he admitted softly.

"That was sneaky," she pointed out, jabbing him in the chest with her finger. The smile tugging at the corners of her lips told him she wasn't really annoyed.

"It was," he agreed, unable to wipe the grin from his face. His lips felt like they were tingling from their brief encounter with Bella's. "And I'd do it again. In fact, want to try it again now? Without the lime this time?" He waggled his eyebrows at her, knowing she wouldn't take him up on the offer. He'd pushed things as it was, but the fact that she hadn't bolted was still progress.

Laughing, she shoved his shoulder lightly and shook her head. "Ass." Still chuckling, Bella glanced over his head and her brow furrowed slightly. "Looks like we've been abandoned."

Edward craned his neck around, not wanting to have to relinquish his hold on her waist. Sure enough, their friends were back out on the dance floor, with nothing but a stack of empty shot classes on the table as evidence they'd even been there. "Wanna join 'em?"

Bella nodded, stepping back and resting her hands on his, where they were still at her waist.

"C'mon, Cullen," she taunted, a full grin making her eyes crinkle adorably in the corners. "Show me what you've really got."

"Swan, you couldn't handle it if I showed you what I've _really_ got," he shot back as he stood. She turned under his gentle hold, so that it looked like they were a two-person conga line. As they headed for the dance floor, he leaned down and added, "But I really hope someday I'd like to try."

The smile Bella flashed over her shoulder told him what he needed to know: that if Edward played his cards right, he just might get the chance.

* * *

**_Sooooooo... yeah, this is my last chapter before I leave on vacation. I'll be gone for a week, and likely won't get anything at all done while I'm gone. So, unfortunately, that means you're likely looking at closer to two weeks until the next update, rather than the one I try so hard to stick to. I hope this was enough to satisfy you until then, though!_**

**_So show me lots of love, in review form, and I'll promise to write my little heart out as soon as I get home. ;-)_**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"You're going."

"Alice –"

"Don't 'Alice' me. You're going, Bella, and that's all there is to it."

Bella sighed and flopped onto her back. Rolling her head to the side, she glared at her best friend, who was sitting cross-legged on Bella's bed. They'd gotten back to Forks the night before, and Alice was already bored due to the lack of Jasper. He was flying in on the 26th, but that was still two days away.

Alice didn't wait well.

"Bella, you can't wait two days," Alice insisted. "Go see Edward tonight and give him his gift. He invited you, so just do it."

"It's a big family thing, Alice. I don't want to intrude."

Grey eyes rolled tiredly. "He. In. Vited. You. That means he wants you there. You won't be intruding."

Bella didn't reply, instead choosing the stare at the ceiling as she considered her options. It was true, Edward had invited her to stop by for Christmas Eve celebrations. Charlie had to work, so she wouldn't be doing anything, otherwise, and it was kind of pathetic to be spending Christmas Eve alone. But she'd imposed enough on Thanksgiving. Did the Cullens really need her invading at Christmas, too?

"What did you get him, anyway?" Alice wondered, rolling onto her side and propping herself up with one elbow as she watched Bella.

That was something she'd agonized over for weeks. Not really knowing where things stood between them made it especially difficult. If she got him something too impersonal, it would seem like she didn't care. On the other hand, if she got him something too personal, it could send the message that she cared too much, that maybe she was more invested in their... in whatever it was that was going on between them than he was. And that would be just as bad, if not worse, than not caring enough.

Ever since their sort-of-kiss at the bar the other night, she was more confused than ever. Whenever they were together, she was fairly sure he was interested. But as soon as she put any distance between them, she started to over-analyze and question every look or touch, which made her wonder if it was all just wishful thinking on her part, if she was just reading way too much into everything.

She knew she was being neurotic, there just wasn't a whole lot she could do about it.

"A T-shirt and the complete box set of 'Battlestar Galactica'," Bella answered. It had been the best compromise she could come up with – it said that she knew him well enough to know his interests, but it didn't scream that she was harboring any deep feelings beyond friendship.

Predictably, Alice crinkled her nose at that. "You two are such geeks."

In retaliation, Bella did the only thing she could – she stuck out her tongue. "Hey, he loves the show, and I know he doesn't have any of it on DVD, so it made sense," she defended herself.

"And the T-shirt is tradition, I know," Alice supplied, to which Bella nodded. "I wonder what he got you."

"I don't know that he got me anything," she admitted. "He didn't ask me for any ideas."

"Oh, he definitely got you something. He may not have asked you, but he picked my brilliant brain," Alice confided with a knowing grin. Bella was suddenly afraid. Anytime Alice got involved in gift buying, it led to something too flashy being bought and too much money being spent. "So I'm sure you'll be getting something really nice."

Things had been so much easier at previous Christmases. At work there'd been a Secret Santa thing every year, which was cheesy but fun, and Bella and Edward had also decided to exchange gifts themselves, regardless of whether or not they had each other for the Java Jive exchange.

---

_Flashback_

_For the past two years, their last shift together before Christmas was when Bella and Edward exchanged gifts. Sure, they participated in the all-staff Secret Santa, the culmination of which was a week or two before the holidays, but they undoubtedly ended up having to buy for someone they didn't like. So knowing they would also be buying something for each other made the group thing much less painful._

_So as Bella finished putting the cash drawer in the safe, Edward boosted himself up onto the counter. Grinning and swinging his feet like an excited little kid, he waited for her. _

_The previous year, their first Christmas as friends, they'd bought each other graphic Ts – it was complete coincidence, but they'd found it so funny that they'd agree to make it a tradition. Last year, Bella had given Edward a grey t-shirt with red, scribbly writing declaring 'Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder.' Edward had presented her with a simple white tank top with a black hand-writing font that read: 'Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog. – Dorothy'. Bella had worn it proudly the next time they'd worked together. So this year they each knew the essence of what the other had bought, but not the specifics._

_Bella had actually had a tough time choosing this year. There were so many that she'd found that made her laugh, but a lot of them were kind of crude. She just couldn't force herself to buy any of those, despite how hilarious they were, because… well, quite frankly, she didn't want to think about him sleeping with girls and teaching them tricks their current boyfriends can credit him with._

_Unless he was willing to teach her first-hand, which she somehow doubted._

_Besides, she actually wanted to get something he'd wear. And despite his cocky attitude, he wouldn't risk pissing off the establishment by wearing a t-shirt alluding to his sexual prowess._

"_C'mon, Swan, it'll be St. Paddy's Day by the time you get your ass in gear," he taunted as she stepped through the door from the back room. Bella held up his parcel and arched an eyebrow threateningly. _

"_I can keep this, y'know," she warned, which immediately earned a pout. "Ugh, you're such a baby." Bella tossed the soft package at him, and he caught it with a grin. "Merry Christmas, Cullen."_

"_Back at ya, Swan," he said as he handed her the parcel._

_They tore into the presents at the same time, each pulling out their respective shirts and holding them up for inspection. Edward beamed and held the 'Average Joe's' shirt up to his chest. "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball," they quoted together._

_Bella's gift was a light blue tank top with the words 'I'm not antisocial. I just don't like other people.' scrawled across the chest. "Truer words," she laughed. "Thanks, Edward, this is great. I think I'm going to wear it to school every day. Maybe then people'll get the message."_

"_Don't hold your breath," he snorted as he hopped off the counter and pulled her into a hug. She let him, trying not to let herself enjoy it too much. Pulling back slightly, he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "How 'bout a festive quickie in the back?"_

_Shoving him back, Bella laughed and shook her head. "I keep telling you, in your dreams." And hers, if she were being honest…_

_He sighed grandly and shook his head. "You break my heart every time you turn me down, y'know. One of these days I'll stop asking, and then you'll be begging me for that quickie."_

"_Of course I will," she deadpanned, nodding._

_Laughing, Edward hugged again. "Seriously, Bella, thanks. You give good presents." He released her and offered a winning smile. "My birthday's in June, remember…"_

"_Yeah, yeah, yeah," she chuckled. "You're many things, Cullen, but subtle isn't one of them."_

_The look that passed over his face was odd, and he gave her a smile that seemed to land this side of wry. "So you keep telling me, but I have my doubts."_

_Okay, she had no clue what that was supposed to mean, but clearly it didn't matter, because Edward was collecting the torn bits of wrapping paper. He balled them up and tossed it into the garbage, hitting his target effortlessly. _

"_Show off," Bella muttered, but she smirked to let him know she didn't really mean it._

_Chuckling in that way that made her heart stutter, Edward draped his arm around her shoulders and gently steered Bella towards the back room so they could collect their belongings and call it a night. "You love me, and you know it. Don't deny, embrace."_

_Bella forced a laugh and wondered how Edward would feel if he knew just how close to the bulls-eye he'd managed to hit._

---

In the end, Bella had lost the battle with Alice. Which was why she was currently standing on the Cullens' front porch, dressed in a simple-yet-pretty dark purple dress borrowed from Alice (at the evil pixie's insistence), trying to gather up enough courage to knock. She kept reminding herself that it was just Edward, but that really didn't help, because it was him she was most nervous about seeing.

She hated this. She hated this feeling of not knowing what to do or say around him. It had been so long since she'd tried to show a guy she was interested in him that she'd forgotten how. So she was floundering helplessly, so out of practice that she couldn't even be sure she was reading Edward's signals properly. She _thought_ he was interested. It seemed like he was, at any rate. But she was far too afraid of being disappointed – and being rejected – to really put herself out there until she _knew_.

God, but Bella hated her own insecurities. It shouldn't be this difficult, and she knew it. It was Edward, and she knew him so well… Of course, the fact that it was Edward was also what made it so scary. So much more at stake than if it were just some random guy she was crushing on. In that case, she wouldn't have anything to lose other than her dignity. With Edward, she risked losing one of her best friends.

What she wouldn't give to be able to read his mind. God.

Before she could chicken out and just leave the gift bag at the front door, Bella lifted her hand and rang the bell. Gnawing on her lower lip, she anxiously waited for someone to answer, hoping both that it would and wouldn't be Edward. Seconds later, the door swung open to reveal the sweet and smiling face of Edward's mom.

"Bella," Esme exclaimed happily. "It's so good to see you, sweetheart! Come in, come in."

Doing as instructed, Bella stepped into the Cullens' foyer, and Esme shut the door. Unsurprisingly, the house appeared to be decorated to perfection for the holidays. Garlands, lights, candles, sprigs of holly, everything tasteful and classy, yet at the same time warm and homey. How Esme managed to achieve that mix, Bella had no idea. All she knew was there was no way she'd ever be able to accomplish that herself.

Then Bella was being swept into a warm, maternal hug, which she really couldn't resist returning. "Merry Christmas," Esme beamed as she stepped back, hands gently grasping Bella's shoulders. "Edward will be so happy you came by. He wasn't sure that you would. Here, let me take your coat."

Bella shook her head quickly and offered an apologetic smile. "I really can't stay," she explained quickly.

"Of course you can," Esme insisted. "Everyone would love you see you. And I know Felix has been harassing Edward all night about whether you'd be coming." She smiled conspiratorially. "Seems you have quite a way with _all _the men in this family."

Her cheeks instantly flamed, and Bella opened her mouth to try formulate some kind of answer that wouldn't embarrass her beyond belief. But nothing came to her, so she snapped her mouth shut and suddenly found the painting behind Esme absolutely fascinating.

"Bella!"

Before she could process the voice, a small body hurled itself at her, arms wrapping around her waist and a pointy little chin digging into her stomach as an elfin face grinned up at her. "Hi Charlotte," Bella greeted with a chuckle. Saved by a five-year-old. Nice.

Sneaky Esme chose that moment to slip behind Bella and slide the coat off her shoulders. "I'll find Edward and tell him you're here," she fairly chirped as she finished hanging the jacket in the cupboard.

"I've been a really good girl, so Santa's going to visit tonight and bring me lots of presents," Charlotte announced with a serious expression.

"He is, is he?" Bella replied, unable to keep from grinning at the little girl.

Charlotte nodded, dark curls bouncing. "Uh-huh!" Her voice softened to a stage whisper. "I asked for a big girl bike. Do you think Santa will bring me one?"

Oh, and how does one respond to a question like _that_? If she said yes, and there wasn't a bike under the tree tomorrow morning, Charlotte would be crushed. Untangling the little girl's arms from around her, Bella moved them over to the stairs, where they perched on the landing four steps up from the foyer floor.

"If there's room in his sleigh, I'm sure he will," Bella said carefully, not wanting to get the little girl's hopes up just in case 'Santa' didn't come through. "But he needs to fit a lot of toys in that sleigh, and a bike takes up a lot of room. You wouldn't want other kids to miss out on getting presents just so you could get your bike, would you?"

Her little face grew pensive, and Bella could practically see the question being mulled around in Charlotte's head. "I guess not," she admitted finally, but her lips pursed in an absolutely adorable pout, her eyes wide with worry. "But even if I don't get the bike, Santa will bring me _something_, won't he?"

"Of course he will," Bella hurriedly assured her.

The sound of small thundering feet echoed down the hall, and Felix was suddenly before them, beaming at Bella. "Hi Bella," he greeted with a shy duck of his head.

"Hi Felix," she replied, trying very hard not to laugh at his bashful enthusiasm. They were two of the cutest kids ever, really, and had managed to wrap her around their little fingers in no time.

"You look really pretty," he said softly, looking at her from beneath thick, dark eyelashes as his cheeks pinked adorably. Ugh, what was it with these Cullen boys and their ability to turn her to mush?

"You really do," agreed another voice, and Bella looked up to see Edward leaning casually against the banister, smiling warmly at her. Now it was Bella's turn to blush.

"Thanks," she murmured. There was a moment of awkward silence, during which Edward simply continued smiling at her, and Bella continued blushing.

"Char, why don't you and Felix go get some of the cookies Auntie Esme just put out?" The suggestion was a clever one, because both children took off down the hall without so much as a backwards glance. Bella couldn't help but laugh.

"Wow," she chuckled, "nice to know the promise of cookies is more enticing than spending time with me." Daring a glance up at Edward, her heart stuttered at the adorable crooked smile on his face.

"Bella, believe me when I say _nothing_ is more enticing than you," he told her in a voice that made stomach lurch and her cheeks burn hotly.

"You don't have to suck up anymore, Cullen," she shot back in an attempt to deflect. "I already bought you your present." With a smirk, she held up the colorful gift bag. "See?"

His eyes lit up, and his face split into a little boy grin. "Can I open it now?"

"I dunno," Bella mused, cocking her head at him. "Christmas isn't until tomorrow, so maybe you should wait."

Instantly, Edward was on his knees on the bottom stair, which brought eye level with Bella. His hands cupped the outside of her knees, thumbs stroking gently over her tights, and she fought back a shiver. His eyes looked even greener than usual thanks to the dark olive sweater he was wearing, and she found it awfully hard to keep from leaning in towards him.

"Please, Bella?" Edward was in full puppy dog mode, now, and it was virtually impossible for her to deny him anything. Her fingers twitched with the desire to reach up and brush his flopping bangs from his forehead. "Please? You can open yours…"

"Patience isn't one of your fortes, is it?"

Edward sobered slightly and quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, I can be _extremely_ patient," he told her, his thumb once again stroking her leg. "I just need the right incentive."

Oh god… he wasn't playing fair. At. All. He had to know the effect he had on her. There was no way he wasn't doing this on purpose.

"How do you decide if the incentive is enough?" She was surprised to hear herself speak, and more than a little annoyed to notice that her voice was trembling ever-so-slightly.

The smile that curled his lips was so tender that it nearly broke her heart. "It is," he assured her, holding her gaze steadily.

Okay, she couldn't _possibly_ be misunderstanding him. He was referring to be patient with _her_, that _she_ was the right incentive… Wasn't he? Or was he just talking about the present she had for him?

_Gah! _

Bella wished, for just one second, to have even an ounce of Rosalie's self-confidence. Then she'd be able to put an end to the questioning once and for all. But she wasn't Rose, and she sure as hell didn't have that kind of confidence with men.

"Fine, you can open your present," she relented, and Edward grinned widely.

"Yours is under the tree," he told her as he rocked backwards onto his feet, holding out his hand for hers as he stood. "C'mon."

Bella let him lead her down the hall to the surprisingly vacant living room, enjoying the feel of his hand wrapped around hers. The tree that stood proudly in the corner by the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows was magnificent: it was full and tall, and was clad in white lights with blue and silver decorations. Even the presents underneath the tree matched, Bella noted. The majority of them were wrapped in paper that complemented the tree's color theme. It was insane. But it did make for a majestic presentation, all together.

It made the little barely-better-than-a-Charlie-Brown-tree (boasting multi-colored lights and a hodgepodge of old-fashioned, colorful ornaments) that stood in the Swans' living room look even more pathetic than it already was. She was so glad Edward wouldn't see it.

Releasing her hand to retrieve her gift, Edward rooted around under the tree, lifting parcels and shifting gift bags while he hunted for his prize. It took a concerted effort for Bella to not stare at his ass. Finally he returned, a wide grin on his face and a rectangular box in his hand. Taking her hand again, he tugged her over to the loveseat, and they sat down close to each other, their knees touching as they angled their bodies towards each other.

"Can I go first?" Edward asked excitedly, and Bella couldn't help but laugh at him.

"I swear you're really two, not twenty," she chastised playfully. "But yeah, here." She handed over the bag and watched in amusement as Edward reached in and pulled out the first piece. He grinned at the softness of the tissue-wrapped package, clearly realizing the significance. Tearing open the thin paper, he tossed it aside and held up the dark blue shirt. He burst out laughing at the 'Winchester Tavern, England' T-shirt.

"Shaun of Dead," he identified with a grin, and Bella breathed a sigh of relief. It had been one of his favorite movies a year ago, and she'd hoped that hadn't changed. Apparently, it had been a safe bet. "This is perfect, thank you!"

Setting the shirt aside, Edward pulled out the second piece, also wrapped in tissue paper. He turned it over and over, feeling it as he went. His brow was furrowed slightly as he tried to figure out what it was. "Just open it already," Bella finally ordered with a laugh.

Clearly, he didn't need to be told twice.

"If you already have it, you can exchange it for something else," she told him as she nervously watched him tear open the paper, revealing the present it had concealed. His eyes lit up and once again he grinned widely, much to her relief.

"Bella, this awesome," he said genuinely, eyes dancing with excitement. "Seriously, I didn't even know the complete series had been released yet. Thank you."

Leaning forward, he hugged her tightly, and Bella laughed happily. "Glad you like it."

"Like it? No way, I love it," he corrected as he released her. "We'll have to have a marathon or two when we get back to school. Deal?"

"Deal. Definitely," she grinned back. "We've got what, a week and a half between New Year's and the start of classes? We can have a BSG week. We won't even have to leave your couch, just set up camp there."

"I really like the sound of that," Edward agreed, though something in his eyes told her he was talking about more than just the marathon. Before she could analyze it, though, he was holding a small, square box out to her. "Your turn."

Bella took it with only a slight bit of hesitation. She wasn't big on receiving gifts in general, but she tried to make an exception at Christmas. That still didn't make it easier for her.

The box was wrapped in blue metallic paper with a delicate silver snowflake pattern, and she made a point to not tear it. The unwrapped box gave away no more clues as to what it might contain, bearing no logo or distinguishing mark of any kind – it was a non-descript white. All she knew was that the contents were quite light.

Removing the lid, she was met by a sheet of tissue paper, inside which lay, much to her amusement, a t-shirt. Pulling it from the wrap, she held it up and laughed at the cartoon monster holding a plate of cookies, with the tag line 'Come to the dark side. We have cookies.'

"Great minds," she told him with a broad smile, relieved that he'd remembered their traditional gift exchange items.

"There's something else in there," he informed her, and if she wasn't mistaken, he seemed a little nervous. Pulling out the tissue, she realized that, indeed, there was another, smaller box hidden inside. She removed the lid, and was found a layer of padding. Lifting that away revealed a beautiful, delicate silver bangle.

She recognized it immediately as one she'd admired every time she and Edward had made the trek down to Pike Place. Hand made by a local artisan, it was an abstract take on the classic Celtic knot, and incorporated two small amethysts. Bella had loved it from the moment she first saw it, but had never been able to justify buying it for herself.

"Edward," she breathed softly, carefully lifting the bracelet from its cotton nest. When she glanced up at him, she noted that his expression was apprehensive.

"It's the right one, isn't it?" Edward's tone sounded nervous, anxious, and he seemed more unsure of himself than she'd ever seen him before.

"It's absolutely the right one," she assured him, and he puffed out a relieved breath.

"Good. I was pretty sure it was."

As she admired the bracelet, Bella worried her lower lip. "I love it, I really do, but –"

"If the next words out of your mouth are going to be anything along the lines of 'it's too much', stop right now," he ordered with a crooked grin. She did, confirming his suspicions, and he grinned wider. "Do you like it?"

Silently, Bella nodded.

"Good. That's all that matters."

It would be pointless to argue with him, she knew, so Bella decided to simply accept it. Gently, she pinched the sides of the bangle to release the latch, and slid it on her wrist. Pinching it shut so it re-latched, she held her arm out to admire it. She couldn't keep the grin from spreading across her face. "I love it."

Bella launched herself at Edward, propping herself up on one knee as she wrapped her arms tight around his neck. "Thank you," she said softly, inhaling the tempting scent of his aftershave as she pressed her cheek against his. His arms slipped around her and held her against his chest, one hand rubbing slow, small circles between her shoulder blades.

"You're welcome," he replied softly, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She stayed wrapped around him longer than necessary, and when she finally pulled back, Edward was clearly reluctant to let her go.

"Y'know, Cullen, I don't know how you do it, but you manage to get me acting all girly far too often for my liking," Bella teased. "I don't know that I like that."

Edward grinned wickedly and waggled his eyebrows. "I do."

A reddish-brown head poked around the corner, drawing their attention. Esme smiled brightly at them both. "Oh good, Bella, you're still here! Come have some eggnog and cookies, then sing carols. You have to stay."

And as quickly as she appeared, Esme was gone, leaving Bella blinking at the doorway. "Is she serious?"

"As a heart attack," Edward chuckled.

Turning, Bella looked at Edward in disbelief. "Really? Eggnog, cookies, and sing-along Christmas carols? _Really_?"

With a sheepish shrug, he nodded. "Yeah, it's kinda tradition," he confessed.

"Wow," she breathed, shaking her head as she started to laugh. "Just… _wow_. Your family is a living, breathing, Norman Rockwell painting." And the thing was? She kind of loved it. It was so completely different from anything she'd ever experienced before that she couldn't help herself.

The remainder of the evening had been spent consuming the most delicious shortbread, gingerbread, and sugar cookies Bella had ever tasted, and she'd made Esme promise to share the recipes. Unsurprisingly, Edward had played as everyone gathered around the piano to sing. Bella had hung back, reluctant to participate with her less-than-stellar voice, until Esme had drawn her into the fold. Then Felix and Charlotte had gotten into the game, each latching onto one of her hands so that she couldn't escape if she'd wanted to.

Which, amazingly, she didn't.

By the time Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer rolled around, about 20 minutes in, Bella was singing along happily and letting herself get silly with the kids, not really caring how bad she must sound. Lord knew not everyone in that room had the potential to be professional singers.

And every time she glanced Edward's way, he was watching her, a soft smile on his lips as he sang.

It was just all such a surreal experience. Bella's parents had divorced when she was so young that she couldn't remember them ever being together as a family. Over the years, she and Renee had spent Christmas in several unusual places, celebrating in untraditional ways. There was the year they'd gone down to Mexico, and had shared Christmas dinner on the beach with a dozen strangers. They'd barbecued one year. Another, Renee had tried to start a tradition of the two of them going to a movie on Christmas Day. That tradition had lasted all of a year.

Living with Charlie had given her a more traditional view on the holidays, but it still wasn't anything like what she was experiencing with the Cullens. And the thing was, even if Renee and Charlie had stayed together, Bella was pretty sure they never would have had holidays like this. It just wasn't _them_.

But a part of her that Bella hadn't even been aware existed longed for this, longed for traditions and family and… normalcy. She had no regrets about how she was raised, but this… this was nice. She was afraid she'd be able to get used to it far too easily.

It was getting late by the time the sing-along wrapped up, and Bella said her good-byes and wishes of Merry Christmas. Over the five-minute span she tried to make her escape, she was hugged and kissed than she could ever remember being before. Ever the gentleman, Edward retrieved her jacket and helped her slip it on before escorting her outside.

"I'm glad you came," he told her, glancing sideways at her.

"Me too," Bella admitted, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze. "And I want to kick your ass for getting me the bracelet, but I love it too much, so you're safe." She smirked. "For now."

"You don't know how relieved I am to hear you say that," Edward drawled teasingly. Suddenly he stopped walking, and tugged her hand lightly until she was standing before him. Bella looked up at him curiously.

"What?" His gaze flicked upward briefly, and his smile slowly spread as he looked back down at her. "Edward…?"

Slowly and deliberately, Edward walked forward, forcing her back. With every step, Bella's heart rate increased, until she was sure he'd be able to hear it in the quiet around them. The porch railing suddenly hit her bum, and she couldn't go any further. Edward, however, moved right into her personal space, looking in her eyes the entire time.

Bella forgot to breathe.

He was just so beautiful. It wasn't fair. Try as she might, she'd never been able to ignore his good looks, despite the fact that she knew he used them as a weapon against unsuspecting females of any age.

They worked on her, and to the best of her knowledge, he'd never even consciously _tried_ to affect her.

Edward's eyes, almost black in the darkness, were locked onto hers, and she felt almost hypnotized by the intensity of the moment. Slowly, his hands lifted and cupped her face gently, thumbs stroking along her cheekbones. Her skin tingled where he touched her, his fingers warm against her cool cheeks. As the seconds passed, it became increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open, and she allowed her lids to drift partly shut. He was moving slightly, his body now close enough to hers that it felt like an electric current was flowing between them.

"Edward, what –" Her voice was barely a whisper, and the words were spoken against his lips. When had he gotten so close? And why wasn't he closer?

"Mistletoe. Can't argue with tradition," he murmured in a tone that caused a shiver to race through Bella's entire body.

When his eyes dropped to her lips, Bella licked them in anticipation. His grip on her face seemed to tighten slightly in response. The gap between them disappeared, and Edward brushed his lips against hers.

His kiss was soft and gentle and sweet, yet shockingly intense and seductive. After a long moment of moving nothing but her lips, Bella's head began to swim. The world around her tilted and she gripped Edward's sides to keep herself from collapsing into a pile of goo. She gasped, forcing air into her lungs, and Edward took advantage of that to deepen the kiss.

One hand slid around to cup the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair as his lips parted, his tongue running tentatively over her lower lip. Apparently her lips were directly connected to her groin, because the shock shot right through her body, settling quite happily low, low in her stomach, where it sparked a small fire. Each brush of his lips, each teasing flick of his tongue caused the embers to glow hotter, ready to set her entire body afire.

It had been so long since she'd felt anything even remotely similar to what Edward was fueling in her that her brain positively shut down and just let her feel rather than think.

Eagerly granting his request, Bella let her own tongue sneak out to gently brush against his. She could detect the faint flavor of cinnamon and nutmeg from the eggnog, and it had never tasted better. His sharp intake of breath had her smiling against his lips, and her hands slid around to his back, clutching at his soft sweater and trying to bring him closer. A soft, guttural moan slipped from him as they pressed together, hips to chest, and Bella could barely believe that she was the reason Edward was making that amazing sound.

She wanted to hear it again.

Loud, muffled voices intruded on their moment, forcing their way between them and pushing them apart. The light in the foyer flicked on as Bella and Edward reluctantly separated, both of them trying to steady their breathing. Through the leaded glass windows above the door, the light overpowered the small carriage lamp that hung above them, bathing the pair in a warm glow.

Edward's eyes searched her face as Bella's cheeks flushed hotly. Her teeth tugged self-consciously at her lower lip, even though she was smiling. He smiled back and let out a relieved breath.

"I'd better go," she said, surprised by the huskiness in her voice. Edward's fingers stroked her cheek once more before he stepped back with obvious reluctance.

"We're still on for the day after tomorrow?" There was an uncertainty in his voice she wasn't accustomed to hearing.

"Definitely," she assured him with a smile.

"Good," Edward replied softy, a matching smile curling his lips. Dropping his hands he stepped back, allowing her to move away from the railing. "Merry Christmas, Bella."

"Merry Christmas, Edward." Glancing up on impulse as she stepped towards the steps, Bella's eyes lit on the bundle of greenery above their heads. Her brow furrowed as she studied it for a moment before looking back at Edward. "That's not mistletoe. It's holly."

"I know," he admitted with a shrug, a shit-eating grin lighting up his face.

In spite of herself, Bella burst out laughing. She'd been had, but instead of being embarrassed by her gullibility, she was amused. And flattered, really, that Edward would lure her under make-believe mistletoe for a Christmas kiss.

"You have to _trick_ girls into kissing you?" Bella asked, clearly amused. "Jeez, Cullen. I'd expect better from you."

Before he had a chance to reply, she was off the porch and jogging towards her truck. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him standing there, hands in his pockets, a grin on his handsome face. "Just the one girl who matters, Swan," he called back, a laugh in his voice. "She's cute as hell, but a little slow sometimes!"

Shaking her head, Bella grinned and climbed into the cab of her truck. The engine roared to life, and as she backed down the driveway, she saw that Edward was still standing on the porch, smiling as he watched her.

Her own silly smile didn't fade for hours.

* * *

_**Wanna see their prezzies? Check out my profile for the links!**_

_**Also, just to give you the longest End Note ever, and since this seems to be the trend of late... It appears to be Twific awards season. I'm not suggesting you nominate MIA for anything, I'm really, really not. I could give you a list a mile long of stories that are much, much more deserving, so no. This is not me being sneaky and trying to get people to nominate MIA, I promise. That said, take a moment to visit some of the award sites and nominate some of the great and incredibly deserving stories out there! The links to these are also on my profile page.**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Edward was well aware that throughout Christmas Day, he'd walked around the house with the biggest, dopiest grin on his face. He couldn't help it. Nor did he care that his family spent the day teasing him mercilessly about it.

Because he'd kissed Bella.

And she'd kissed him back.

It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, and he was well aware that it could've ended very badly. He'd been prepared to have to joke it off, to blame it on the mistletoe. He'd also been prepared to deal with her knee meeting his groin. But for once, luck was smiling down on him, and the world hadn't ended. In fact, things had gone better than he'd ever dreamed.

That night, he'd lain in bed tossing and turning, unable to convince his brain to shut down. It was as if the kiss were on a permanent loop in his head, and replaying again and again, engaging each of his senses. He could still feel her soft lips against his, her hair trailing through his fingers, smell the delicate scent of her shampoo, feel the way she'd pulled him to her so that their bodies were flush against each other, see the soft pink flush of her cheeks when they broke apart…

A certain part of his anatomy was actually _very_ much in favor of reliving that moment. Repeatedly. The resulting ache had been part of what had been keeping him awake, and he felt like a perv for it. A simple kiss shouldn't be enough to get him so worked up, but it did. In fact, he suspected it would provide him with Alone Time inspiration for a long time.

Because it was _Bella_, and that made all the difference in the world.

All the doubts that had been plaguing Edward for the past few months were now pushed aside, and he was finally able to start planning how to move things forward with her. He was determined to keep things moving in the right direction; none of that one-step-forward-two-steps-back crap. He'd wanted this for too long. He'd been patient. He deserved good things to happen, dammit.

It had turned out to be a white Christmas, so the roads were still slushy when Edward made his was to Bella's house. Forks, being such a small town, didn't have much in the way of snow removal equipment. From what he understood, they mostly relied on the generosity of two or three locals who got a kick out of attaching a plow blade to the front of their pick-ups. Apparently they didn't feel quite so generous on holidays.

Pulling into the Swans' driveway, he noted that it had been shoveled clean, and wondered if Bella had been assigned the task, or if Charlie had done it. Or even Jacob, since Edward knew the Blacks had been planning to join them for Christmas dinner. (And he'd only been a little bit jealous when he'd found that out. Really.)

There was a bounce in his step as Edward climbed the steps of the Swans' front porch, and he broke into a face-splitting grin when stepped through the door. She was bundled warmly, as he'd requested, with ear-flap hat, scarf, and mittens knit in yarn of various hues of blues and purples. She looked absolutely adorable.

When she realized he was already on the porch, Bella's cheeks turned pink and her lower lip was drawn between her teeth. Shyly, she peered up at him from beneath her dark lashes, and the crooked, slightly awkward smile she gave him only made his own grin grow. He knew for a fact he'd never seen Bella look or smile at him like_ that_ before, and he wanted to nothing more at that moment than to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her senseless.

"Hey," he greeted happily.

Bella stuffed her hands into her coat pockets and hunched her shoulders self-consciously, causing Edward's brow to furrow slightly. "Hey," she replied, voice soft.

Some of Edward's confidence began to seep away. She'd seemed fine Christmas Eve, and in the few texts they'd exchanged the day before she hadn't sounded upset. So what the hell was going on?

"You okay?" He asked, reaching out and tugging gently on a lock of hair trailing out from under her hat. Ducking his head, Edward tried to catch her eyes, offering her an encouraging smile.

Nodding, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When she was done, Bella's smile seemed a little more relaxed. "Yeah, sorry, I'm fine," she assured him. "So! What are your grand plans for today?"

Edward simply looked at her for a moment. That was it? She wasn't going to say anything about their kiss, about _them_? What did that mean? Did she want to forget about it? Did she regret it? Did she…

…Somehow turn him into a girl? Because he was freaking out like a 13-year-old with her first crush. It was pathetic.

It was his turn to blush slightly, eternally thankful that Bella couldn't read his mind. Because if she hadn't already gone off him, overhearing that train of thought would likely do it.

But seriously. What. The. Fuck?

What the hell was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to handle this? He didn't want to just let it go. He didn't want to act like their kiss hadn't meant anything, because it _had_. At least, it had to him, and it killed him to think she might not feel the same way.

Okay, enough. It was time for him to smarten the hell up. He'd screw everything up otherwise. He needed to stop obsessing, and just see how things progressed throughout the day. If things were still weird by the time he brought her home, he'd lock her in the car until they had it out.

With a plan in place, Edward smirked and draped his arm around her shoulders, steering her down the steps and towards his car. "I'm not telling," he informed her with false bravado.

Apparently, Pretend-Everything's-Normal was the right route to take, because Bella slipped her own arm around his waist, giving him a squeeze. Well, no, actually, she poked him in the side with her bony little fingers. "You know I hate surprises," she reminded him with a glare.

Edward laughed and hugged her as they walked. Oh yes, he well remembered the last time he'd tried to surprise her with anything. It had gone badly. Very badly.

"Yeah, I think I've still got the bruises as a reminder," he grumbled good-naturedly.

"It was your own stupid fault," she informed him. "Don't try to pin that one on me."

**---**

_Flashback_

_It was tradition that the Cullens went skiing every Spring Break, and Edward had looked forward to it each year. From the time he was old enough to strap on his first pair of skis, they'd only ever missed one year – the year immediately following Edward's knee injury. After the surgery, he'd needed to take it easy, and skiing definitely didn't qualify._

_This year, however, the weather hadn't felt like cooperating. Blizzard after blizzard had descended on the resort, so the Cullens decided to pack it in early and hit the road during one of the lulls between storms. And now that he was back home, Edward was bored to tears since most of his school buddies were still off vacationing somewhere hot or snowy._

_So Edward had popped in to Java Jive earlier that day to find out when Bella's next shift was, and as luck had it, it was that evening. He'd missed her, even though it had been less than a week since he'd last seen her. How he'd cope in the fall, when he went off to college and had to go months on end without talking to her, Edward really didn't know. _

_He knew Bella wasn't expecting him back for another few days, so he wanted to take the opportunity to surprise her. Which was why Edward was lurking in the dark, nearly-deserted parking lot of Java Jive, waiting for her to emerge through the back door._

_Finally, after what seemed like hours of him standing out in the damp cold, the lights inside the shop turned off. Grinning in anticipation, he stepped back into the shadows and prepared to have some fun._

_In retrospect, it was a really, really stupid thing to do._

_The heavy steel door opened, and Bella emerged, looking far prettier than even his memory had been able to convey. He waited until she'd turned around to lock the deadbolt before slipping from his hiding spot and stepping up behind her, so close that his chest was almost, but not quite, touching her back._

"_Hey," he whispered into her ear._

_Faster than he'd thought possible, Bella spun around, fists flying. The first blow cuffed him upside the head at almost the exact same time her knee went for the family jewels, missing by mere inches. Before he could recover from the surprise, she'd swung at him again, this time gouging something hard and sharp into his arm._

"_Fuck!" Edward stepped back, trying to put himself out of her strike range. "Bella! Christ, stop! It's me."_

_Bella paused, though her stance was still guarded and defensive. Pushing her hair out of her eyes (good god, her aim had been good considering she could barely see), she peered up at him. The fear on her face was quickly replaced by relief, which only lasted a second before it was replaced with fury._

"_You stupid son of a bitch!" Bella shouted, punching him hard in the shoulder. "You scared the living fuck out of me!" _

"_Ouch, hey, knock it off," he protested, hands up in front of him to act as both a shield and a white flag. "I'm sorry, okay?"_

"_No, it's not okay!" She hit him again. "Cullen, what the __**fuck**__ were you thinking?"_

"_I just wanted to surprise you," he shouted back, feeling stupid and guilty all at once._

_Bella stared at him, incredulous, and shook her head. "First of all, I hate surprises. __**Hate**__. Second, you really thought waiting to ambush me in the parking lot was the best way to do it?"_

_Edward felt incredibly stupid all of a sudden. "Okay, one? How the hell was I supposed to know that? Everybody likes surprises." Raking a hand through his hair, he gave her a sheepish smile. "And two... it seemed like a good idea at the time."_

"_You're a moron," Bella stated. "I hope you realize this."_

"_I am, and I do," he admitted, nodding in agreement._

_Sighing tiredly, she tucked her hair behind her ear and glared at him. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were supposed to be at some ritzy chalet until the end of break."_

"_The weather sucked." He shrugged and shuffled self-consciously. "We came home early, so I thought I'd come by and say hi." Cocking his head, he tried to see what she had in her hand. "What the fuck did you stab me with, anyway? It hurt like a bitch."_

_Smirking smugly, Bella held up her key ring, the thick, heavy key for the store wedged between two of her fingers. Just the sight of it had him rubbing the spot soothingly. "My dad made sure to teach me a few self defense tricks. I'd say they work pretty well, wouldn't you?"_

_Edward scowled and continued to rub his arm. "You're a menace."_

"_Thank you," she replied with a grin. He couldn't quite keep his lips from twitching in amusement over how pleased she was with herself._

"_If you're done beating me up," Edward drawled, "can I have my 'welcome back' hug now?" Holding open his arms, he flashed his most charming smile, hoping to win her over. It took all of his self control not to fist-pump when she rolled her eyes and stepped into his embrace. "I kinda missed you, Swan," he confessed. "Even though you're a major pain. Literally."_

_She snorted out a laugh as she hugged him. "I guess maybe I kinda missed you, too. A little. But not really, because you're an ass."_

_The smile in her voice was obvious, so he didn't take offense. He simply enjoyed holding her. He knew the opportunities to do so were limited before the Fall, and then he didn't know if he'd ever have the chance again. _

**---**

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad this time," Edward promised. Stopping beside his car, he pulled open the passenger door and motioned for her to climb in, shutting it once she was settled. As he circled around the back of the Volvo, he scrubbed his hand over his face in frustration.

This could end up being a long, awkward day.

"Ta-da!"

Bella sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window at the skating pond. It looked like the only other people taking advantage of the cold weather was a family of five, and they seemed to be getting ready to call it a day.

"You're kidding," she stated flatly, and Edward couldn't keep from grinning. He'd been expecting this kind of reaction from her, and it was nice to see she wouldn't disappoint. Dragging her eyes away from the expanse of white before them, she looked at Edward, incredulously. "You don't _honestly_ expect me to be able to skate, do you? I mean… fuck, Cullen. There's a reason I've never skated before. I have enough problems_ walking_ on ice, never mind trying to do it with quarter-inch-wide blades strapped to my feet. And I don't even have skates!"

Holding up his forefinger to quiet her, he grinned. "Hold that thought."

Edward was out of the car in an instant, rifling through the trunk in the next, and then opening Bella's door, all in the span of a handful of seconds. In one hand he carried his hockey skates, and, grinning widely, he held aloft the offering in his other hand: a pair of women's figure skates. Bella simply blinked.

"They're my mom's," he explained. "You're the same shoe size, so I figured her skates would fit."

Brow furrowing, Bella cocked her head at him. "How the hell do you know I have the same shoe size as your mom?"

"I checked," he admitted with a shrug. It was impossible for him to keep from laughing at the vaguely horrified look on her face. Whether it was over the fact he'd examined her shoes that closely, or that she now had no excuse to keep from stepping out on the ice, he wasn't quite sure. "Oh, c'mon, Swan, it'll be fun!"

"Oh yeah, tons of fun," she grumbled, reluctantly climbing out of the car and shutting the door behind her. "When I fall and crack my head open, make sure you take me to Port Angeles General. I trust your dad to fix me. And to kick your ass for making me do this." Edward snorted, and Bella smirked. "Oh, come on. You admitted it yourself – both your parents like me best, so you'd totally get your ass kicked for letting me get hurt."

Damn. She definitely had a point.

But that just meant he'd have to be extra vigilant to make sure nothing happened to her. Not that he needed the threat of physical violence at the hands of his parents to make me him want to keep Bella from breaking anything, but it sure didn't hurt.

Taking both pairs of skates in one hand, Edward wrapped his other hand around Bella's and led her toward one of the park benches surrounding the pond. As he'd suspected, the skating family was busy packing up, trying to unlace the skates of three little kids who had to be under the age of five. That meant, though, that they wouldn't have an audience when they got onto the ice.

Hopefully that would help Bella feel a little less self-conscious.

Kneeling in front of her, Edward took the boot off one of her delicate little feet, swapping it for a skate. Blade safely tucked between his knees, he tightened the laces, wiggling her ankle a bit to make sure it was snug, but not too tight. Bella stayed silent, a scowl on her beautiful face, until the second skate was done up.

"There. How does that feel?" Edward wondered.

Bella sniffed and shrugged, clearly still unimpressed. "Like I'm wearing the tools that will lead to my untimely and very bloody death."

"Wow, drama queen much, Swan?" It was seriously impossible not to laugh at her.

"Bite me, Cullen."

"Hey, I've got no objections. Anywhere in particular?" His voice dropped and tuned playfully husky with the teasing query, and it was enough to send a rush of blood to Bella's cheeks. He felt both pleased and slightly guilty at her reaction, because he knew she was genuinely nervous about the whole skating thing, and he was making it worse by teasing her.

Edward got off his knees and sat on the bench next to Bella. Reaching out, he gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her head so she was looking at him. "I promise I won't let you fall," he told her softly, his eyes boring into hers. "I'd sooner cut off my right arm than see you get hurt." He smiled crookedly. "And I'm a musician, so that's a pretty big deal."

As he'd hoped, Bella laughed softly and shook her head. "You're such a dork," she told him, but her tone had no bite. If he wasn't imagining things, he'd say it was decidedly… tender.

"Your point?" He wondered, flashing her a grin before turning his attention to his own skates. Moments later, he was escorting an incredibly nervous Bella onto the ice.

"Are you sure the ice is thick enough?" Her eyes were slightly wider than normal, gaze pinned on the smooth surface beneath his feet.

"Yes," Edward assured with a chuckle.

"Because you just know that with my luck, I'll find the one thin spot and fall through –"

"Bella," he cut her off with a bark of laughter, "you're not going to fall through. The ice is plenty thick, and I don't plan on letting go of you. You'll be fine, I promise."

Jaw clenched, she set one foot onto the ice. The fact that she trusted him enough to do this, despite her obvious fear, made his heart swell slightly. He gave her a few seconds to get used to the feeling of the skate-ice combination, then gently pulled her forward so she had no choice but to take a step and let the other foot join its mate.

Almost immediately, Bella leaned too far backward and her skates tried to scoot out from under her. She let out a squeak of surprise (and probably, Edward figured, fear), flailing slightly, and Edward tightened his hold on her arms, keeping her upright. Bella latched onto Edward's coat for dear life and whimpered.

"I'm gonna die," she decided.

"You're not gonna die," he laughed. "Just hold on to me, and you'll be fine."

Edward faced her, hands gripping her upper arms as he slowly skated backwards, bringing her along with him. Again, Bella's eyes went wide when she realized they were moving, and she fisted the front of his jacket, holding on for dear life.

"You're doing great," he encouraged her. "Just relax and let me do all the work."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his mind took them and dove right into the gutter. It was so easy to imagine himself saying those words in a very different situation, where instead of heavy winter coats they wore no clothes, and instead of standing together, Bella was lying beneath him, writhing as he worshipped her body and begging him to –

Forcing that thought from his mind (well, more like setting it aside to be pulled out sometime later, like when he was alone), Edward slowly guided Bella around the pond. By their third lap, he could feel her beginning to relax a bit. Her death hold on his coat had eased, even though she hadn't let go completely.

"This isn't so bad, is it?" Edward asked with a smile.

"I guess not," Bella admitted after a moment's hesitation, and he was well aware of just how big a concession that was from her. He grinned victoriously.

With every slow circuit, she improved, slowly getting the hang of stroking and avoiding the evil that was the toe pick. She gradually became less dependent on him to stay upright, until finally, after many unsuccessful attempts to convince her it would be okay, Edward was able to turn around and skate beside her. He still held her hand for support, but she was much more self-sufficient than when she'd first set foot on the pond.

If he wasn't mistaken, he even caught her smiling once or twice.

"Don't tell me you're actually starting to have _fun_," he teased, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I wouldn't go _that_ far," Bella replied, clearly fighting the urge to grin. She was so damn adorable it almost hurt to look at her. "But it might not be quite as heinous an experience as I thought it would be."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth, Bella's blade hit a rut in the ice. She scrambled to try to keep her balance, but was already pitched too far forward to be able to catch herself. Giving thanks to years of playing sports that honed quick reflexes, Edward quickly spun around and positioned himself in front of her, arms latching around her torso as she fell into him. He staggered slightly, but then regained his balance. Relief and gratitude were painted across Bella's face as she peered up at him. He still held her close, even after helping her regain her footing.

"You okay?" Silently, Bella nodded, eyes on his. "See?" Edward asked, voice low and smile soft. "Told you I wouldn't let you fall."

They stood together, unmoving and unspeaking, for a long moment. Their closeness was affecting them both. Bella's gaze jumped from one of Edward's eyes to the other, clearly searching. But searching for _what_, he didn't know. All he knew was the electricity sparking between them couldn't be ignored any longer.

And right then, he didn't much care. He couldn't think straight, she was so close. Without his permission, his eyes dropped to her lips before flicking up again. Removing one hand from her waist, he lifted it to gently cup her jaw. "Bella," he whispered, brushing the top of his nose gently against hers as he held her gaze, "I_ really_ want to kiss you again."

Her big, dark eyes blinked in apparent surprise. "You do?" Her voice was no louder than his, and Edward nodded. "But… _why_?"

Why? _Why_? Was she actually asking him _why_ he wanted to kiss her? The absurdity of the question made him want to bang his head against the ice.

"Because I've wanted to kiss you for a long, long time," he admitted, stroking his covered thumb over cheek bone. "And now that I've finally gotten to do it once, I don't think I can go back to _not_ kissing you." Pausing, Edward swallowed hard. "Unless you don't want me to. I… I'd understa –"

He was cut off by Bella crushing her lips against his, her mitten-hindered hands plunging into his hair and holding his face in place. Groaning in relief, Edward tightened the arm around her waist, drawing her even closer. He whimpered ever so slightly as she pulled back a fraction, so that their lips were just barely brushing. "I want you to," she breathed, and that was the only encouragement he needed.

Edward took control of the kiss, moving his lips against hers insistently, his tongue seeking entrance into her mouth. Admission was granted when Bella uttered a soft gasp, and she wasn't the least bit hesitant about letting her tongue stroke and wrestle with his. He was distracted, however, by the way she kept sliding back and away from him, having little control over her skates at the best of times, and none when she wasn't concentrating on staying upright.

Without breaking the kiss, he glided forward slowly, guiding them towards the shore. Bella stumbled as her skates suddenly hit snow, but Edward held her steady, walking her backwards several steps until her back was up against a large tree.

_That _was better, he decided, finally having some leverage so he could kiss her harder without worrying about her sliding away from him. He was rewarded for his efforts with, hands down, the sexiest moan he'd ever heard. It went straight to his dick, and his jeans were suddenly terribly uncomfortable.

Tongues warred and hands groped at hair and faces, as much as they could considering they were dressed for the cold. Gloves and mittens were unwelcome obstacles, preventing them from really and truly touching each other. Their coats were suddenly much too inhibiting; Edward wanted to be able to feel Bella pressed against him, wanted to be able to slide his hand up the back of her top and stroke her silky skin, wanted to feel her breasts crushed against his chest.

Bella's hot, sweet breath puffed against his face in small gasps, more evident because of the cold air surrounding them. It was as if he were literally breathing her in, wrapping himself up in her as completely as possible… considering they were both still fully dressed.

Fed up with not being able to feel her, Edward pulled his hands away and violently rid himself of his gloves, never breaking the kiss. Reaching up behind his head, he tugged on Bella's mittens until she got the idea and uncurled her hands. Her mitts joined his gloves, forgotten in the snow, and their hands resumed their original holds.

And god, that was _so_ much better.

Bella's fingers buried themselves in his hair, nails lightly scratching his scalp, and Edward shivered in pleasure. His hand had curled around the back of her head, fingers sneaking under the edge of her hat to thread through her hair. His thumb resuming its place on her cheek, stroking sweetly, and he couldn't keep from marveling at just how soft her skin was.

He wanted to know if it was that soft _everywhere_.

Everything about her, her smell, her lips, her hands, her hair, _everything _was turning him on to impossible degrees. Maybe it was the fact that he'd been celibate for the part of eight months, but Edward was pretty sure it was just that it was Bella. She possessed the ability to affect him, both for good and bad, like nobody else he'd ever met. So it shouldn't surprise him that she had the ability to arouse him like no other girl ever had, either.

Good god, if this was how he was responding from just kissing her – in public, standing against a tree, and fully-clothed, no less – he was almost afraid to imagine what might happen if they were alone.

Almost, but not quite. He was definitely more excited than worried about the prospect. Because if even PG-13 foreplay was enough to send him into near meltdown, he figured the main event would be beyond mind-blowing.

With a mind of its own, the hand he'd had been clutching Bella's waist slid down, skimming over the incredible curve of her ass to her hip, then down the outside of her thigh, and then repeated the routine. On its third pass, his hand stopped on her butt and flattened, pushing her hips forward against his. A soft, needy whimper hummed against his lips as Edward gasped from the sensation of white-hot sparks shooting through his entire body. Reacting purely on instinct, he closed the gap between them completely, leaning in with his whole body and pressing his hips firmly into her belly with a low moan.

Jesus fucking _Christ_, that felt amazing. He'd never had sex in a public park before, but suddenly the idea was incredibly appealing.

The prospect of her skate blades digging into his ass as Bella's legs wrapped around his waist was slightly less so, though.

When they reluctantly broke apart, only doing so because of a serious lack of air, Edward didn't move away, simply resting his forehead against hers. They stood like that, eyes shut and not speaking, as their breathing gradually slowed. He never once stopped stroking her now rather warm cheek. When he was fairly confident he'd be able to speak, he slowly opened his eyes, taking in the gorgeous site before him. Bella's eyes were still closed, and her long lashes fanned out over cheeks that were flushed the most enticing shade of red. Her lips were slightly parted and swollen, and he just about lost control when the tip of her little pink tongue darted out to moisten them.

"Wow," he whispered, unable to restrain his grin. He watched as Bella's lovely eyes fluttered open and met his gaze. After only a moment's hesitation, she smiled, and his heart soared.

"Definitely 'wow'," she agreed, chuckling softly.

Releasing her face, he wrapped both arms around her and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair. She responded in kind, hugging him back and nuzzling her face into his chest.

"I think skating might just be my new favorite sport," Bella said, voice slightly muffled against his coat. Her body shook slightly with her soft laughter, and Edward joined in, rubbing her back gently.

"Yeah, it's definitely up there for me," he agreed, knowing full well his grin was apparent in his voice. Stooping down, he picked up the gloves and mittens he'd tossed aside, shaking off the snow that clung to them. "C'mon, let's get you out of those skates before the scout for Disney on Ice shows up and tries to lure you away from me," he teased, holding her hand and leading her back towards the ice.

"Fuck you, Cullen, I _owned_ these skates," she huffed with a barely-concealed grin. "Disney on Ice would be _lucky_ to have me in one of their lame-ass shows."

Edward guffawed at that. "I think I deprived you of oxygen for too long and you ended up with brain damage," he joked. "I'll have to be more careful next time."

Stepping onto the ice, he helped Bella get her balance before starting off for the other side of the pond. "Keep it up and there won't be a next time," she grumbled, but the threat was made empty by the smile curling her lips.

After ridding themselves of their skates, they decided to warm up with a visit to Java Jive, for old time's sake. Bella opted to leave her hat and mitts in the car, and their bare hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined, as they entered the shop together. Not seeing anyone behind the counter, Edward looked around, trying to see who was working.

"Oh my god," a shrill voice exclaimed, and he felt Bella wince next to him. The owner of the voice stepped out from behind the refrigerator case, gaping at them. "Oh. My. God."

"Hey Jess," he greeted, knowing that Bella certainly wasn't going to be the first one to say hello. He wasn't sure Jessica noticed, though, since she was simply staring intently at their joined hands.

"No freaking way," she breathed. "I'm hallucinating. That's the only answer to what I'm seeing."

"Oh, for fuck sake," Bella grumbled, then continued louder. "Yes, Jessica, we're holding hands. Get the fuck over it."

Good god, he adored that girl.

Apparently, that did the trick, because Jess seemed to snap out of her little trance and was running over to them. Having no choice when she threw herself at him, Edward let got of Bella's hand to catch Jessica, who was now hugging him nearly to the point of strangling him. Luckily, she didn't play barnacle for long. Letting him go, she smiled flirtily at him and batted her lashes. "We've _really_ missed you around here."

Beside him, he heard Bella's snort of laughter followed by a low, drawn out, "Subtle." Reaching for her hand again, Edward bit the inside of his cheek as he fought to keep from smiling. God forbid Jessica think he was smiling because of her.

Jessica's eyes narrowed and she reluctantly acknowledged her former classmate's presence. "Hello Bella."

"Jess," Bella replied in a saccharine tone and fake smile, "so _nice_ to see you again." He hadn't thought it possible, but Jessica squinted even more, until her eyes were just tiny slits.

Uh-oh.

"Can we get a couple of hot chocolates?" Edward interjected, summoning his most charming smile in an effort to stop the catfight before it really began. And his scheme apparently worked, because the change was instant. Jessica beamed at him and practically skipped behind the counter.

"Regular or non-fat?" Jess asked, then eyed Bella with a smirk. "I'd suggest the non-fat for you, Bella, and I'd give the whipped cream a miss. Looks like you've been working hard at putting on the Freshman Fifteen."

Edward bristled, but only because Bella was being insulted; he couldn't care less if she put on 15 pounds. She most definitely hadn't, and was still as slim and curvy as she'd been before he'd left for Chicago, but he'd still think she was beautiful if she had. Hell, she could gain 30 and he'd still want her every bit as much.

Which he knew would come as a shock to his seventh grade girlfriend, with whom he'd broken up after one of his buddies made a snide comment about the size of her ass. In retrospect, he knew poor Cheryl had just hit puberty and had filled out, developing hips rather suddenly, but all 13-year-old Edward had been concerned about was the fact that his friends thought he was dating a fatty.

"Regular's fine, but thanks for your concern," Bella said lightly. "And _lots_ of whipped cream. Some guys like their girls with a little more meat on their bones." She hip-checked him with a grin. "Right, _Eddie_?"

"More of you to love, baby," he agreed with a grin, playing along. He made a show of slapping her ass, which caused Bella to squeak in surprise.

She deserved it for calling him Eddie.

Jessica stared at them like they'd lost their minds. "Ew," she said under her breath before she turned to start steaming the milk.

While their drinks were being prepared, Edward and Bella kept exchanging sidelong glances and trying not to laugh. It was a losing a battle, and the cups were placed in front of them not a moment too soon. He paid, thanked Jess for her help, and led Bella to a table on the far side of the shop.

"Wow, I do _not_ miss having to deal with her every day," Bella said with a dry laugh as they took their seats. "She got even worse after you left. Mike dumped her, Lauren snared some poor bastard and ditched best friend for boyfriend, and so poor Jessica slid down the rungs of the prestigious Forks High social ladder. It was so tragic to watch."

Her expression told him it had been anything but.

And still, her reference to him leaving brought about a fresh surge of guilt over the way he'd treated her, what he'd done by trying to make a clean break. He'd been so stupid.

"I know I've said it before," he began quietly, "but I really am sorry for leaving the way I did. I don't know why you forgave me so easily, but I'm really grateful you did." Edward reached across the table and took her hand. "I don't deserve you."

"No, you don't," she agreed with a smirk. "But don't worry, now that I know what a good kisser you are, I won't let you disappear again that easily."

The comment thrilled him, really, for multiple reasons. But mostly because it meant she was comfortable enough with what had happened that she could joke about it.

Of course, she'd done the same thing after their kiss Christmas Eve…

"Bella, I... I'm not just fucking around. I'm serious about this," he told her with a gentle squeeze of her hand to emphasize his point, "about you, about _us_. I just… I need you to know that."

Her dark eyes seemed to pierce his, seemingly looking past the exterior and into his soul, for godsake. Until that moment, he'd thought it was only a figure of speech, and a gross exaggeration, at that. Now, he knew better.

Bella's answer was in the form of a soft, shy-yet-happy smile over the top of her cup, and Edward felt his head spin. It was going to take some getting used to this softer, girlier side of Bella. He loved it, but he'd only seen very brief glimpses of it before, and until he built up an immunity to it? Well, she'd knock him on his ass every time it made an appearance.

After leaving Java Jive, they decided to grab a bite to eat at the diner just down the road. They stuffed themselves on half-pound cheeseburgers and fries, occasionally launching a stealth fry attack on the other just to keep things interesting. They dawdled over dessert, sharing the apple pie Edward had ordered and the slice of strawberry rhubarb, which he discovered was one of Bella's favorites. Neither one of them seemed particularly anxious to see the day come to an end.

But as the old saying goes, Edward couldn't help but muse, all good things must come to an end, and he pouted to himself as he drove her home. Chief Swan's cruiser was in the driveway when they pulled up to the house, and even Bella grumbled. "So much for having you come in to watch a movie."

Edward slipped his hand behind her neck and urged her towards him as he swooped down, claiming her lips. He forced himself to keep it fairly light, not especially wanting Bella's gun-carrying father to come out on the porch and catch Edward shoving his tongue down his daughter's throat. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he hugged her as tightly as their awkward positions in the front seat of the car allowed.

"God, I've wanted to do that for so long," he admitted, his voice slightly muffled against her neck. "Um, I mean, kiss you in general, not just right now."

"Me too," came the reply so quiet he almost missed it. But he heard it, and squeezed her even tighter before letting her go.

Again, he found his hand lifting towards Bella's face, the backs of his fingers stroking her cheek. "We're good? No freaking out, no doubts, no hiding?" At her nod, he smiled in relief. "Good. Because I plan on doing that again. And again, and again, and again." With each 'again', he gave her a peck – first to her forehead, then the tip of her tiny little nose, and then, finally, to her lips. The most delightful, light sound bubbled up from within her, and he grinned in amazement as he realized it was a giggle.

Bella Swan, queen of sarcasm, biting wit, and bitchy defense systems, had _giggled_.

And it was because of him.

Edward wasn't sure that he'd ever be able to wipe the stupid smile from his face.

"Don't let this go to your head, Cullen," Bella warned, poking his chest. "Just because I let you slobber all over me doesn't mean I'm going to let you get away with shit."

And _there_ was the Bella he knew and loved.

"The possibility never crossed my mind," he promised, grinning widely. "And don't _you_ think that just because you let me slobber all over you that I'm going to suddenly start acting all sappy and doing romantic-ass crap for you." He was lying, and he figured she probably suspected as much. But she played the game.

"The possibility never crossed my mind," Bella parroted, wearing a matching grin.

Laughing now, Edward quickly got out of the car and went around to open Bella's door for her. He offered her his hand to help her out, and then kept hold of it as he accompanied her to the front door.

"What've you got planned for the next couple of days," he asked. "Think you'll have time to fit me in somewhere?"

"Hmmmm, I'll have to check my calendar," she told him coyly. "But I might be able to pencil you in for an hour or two somewhere."

"Don't do me any favors," Edward told her with feigned irritation. "I don't need your pity, Swan."

"Sure you do," Bella argued, grinning cheekily. "You _thrive_ on my pity."

The front door opened suddenly, startling them both, and they turned to find Charlie standing there, observing them with a quirked eyebrow. "Edward." He nodded in greeting, and Edward nodded back. "Bells, it's getting late and cold, you'd better come in. Edward's got a long drive, so you don't want to keep him."

"Okay, Dad," Bella conceded grudgingly, and then just stared pointedly at Charlie until he, equally as grudgingly, disappeared into the depths of the house. Just because Edward couldn't see the Chief, however, didn't mean the Chief couldn't see him. Edward knew better than to make that kind of rookie mistake.

So Edward gave her hand a squeeze and smiled down at her, very glad that he'd kissed her in the car. "Text me," he pleaded softly. With a final squeeze of her fingers, he hopped off the porch and got back in his car. He threw the car into reverse and cast a final glance towards the front door. Bella was half inside, watching him. With an adorable crooked smile, she waved quickly and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

_**I've noticed a dramatic increase in readers/reviewers here on the past couple of chapters, so whoever's out there pimping this fic, thank you! :)**_

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_**And thus ends the longest AN ever.**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

As it turned out, Bella hadn't been able to see Edward again before heading back to Seattle. She'd gotten busy catching up with some of the few high school friends she actually missed, and Edward had been trapped in Family Fun Hell. Bella had even been roped into heading back to the city a day early so Alice could drag her dress shopping (she'd been horrified to find out Bella didn't have a new dress for New Year's Eve). Bella really would have much preferred to skip the shopping (and the salon visit booked for the following morning) and drive back with Edward, but Alice Brandon was not to be denied when it came to such things as party prep.

"Was there tongue?" Rose asked as she searched through a rack of dresses. She and Emmett had flown back the night before, and the latter was currently back at his apartment with Jasper, detoxing from the overdose of good food and too much family.

"Rose," Bella whined, tired of the on-going interrogation. She'd made the fatal mistake of admitting to Alice everything that had happened over the holidays between her and Edward, which in turn meant Alice had to tell Rosalie. And now the two of them had been grilling her for most of the day. All in all, Bella felt she'd done a fairly good job of avoiding their questions, but she knew she couldn't put them off forever.

"Come on, Bella," Alice crooned, abandoning her search to wrap her arms around Bella's waist from behind and give her an encouraging hug. "We're just happy for you, that's all." She grinned impishly. "We've been waiting for something to happen between you two for _ever_, so of course we want all the dirty details."

"I'm not good at this girl talk thing," Bella protested, drawing a derisive snort from Rosalie. Smirking, Bella flopped down in a nearby chair and let her friends keep looking for The Dress. "Fine. We went skating, we kissed. He drove me home, we kissed. That's _all_."

"So are you two, like, official now?" Alice wanted to know as she returned to the rack of dresses. Pulling one out, she turned and held it out for Bella's inspection.

"No," Bella replied instantly, shuddering at the thought of having to wear that thing for a minute, let alone an entire evening.

"No to the dress or no to the official thing?" Rose queried.

"Dress."

"So…?" Rosalie and Alice were both watching her expectantly. It was an interesting question. Unfortunately, it was one for which Bella didn't have an answer.

"We didn't talk about that," she admitted with a shrug. "He said he wasn't fucking around and that he was serious, but I don't really know what that means."

"Sounds pretty official to me," Rosalie decided. "And all I can say is that it's about fucking time."

Bella rolled her eyes, trying to keep from getting her hopes up too high. "I'm just going to see where things go," she informed them, cocking her head slightly as she inspected another dress Alice held up. "That's not bad," she admitted. "So if the two of you could please refrain from doing or saying anything to embarrass me – or him – tonight, I'd really appreciate it."

"You really think we'd do anything to embarrass you?" Alice asked, her voice sweet as pie. Twin looks of angelic innocence were directed at her, and Bella snorted out a laugh.

"Yes," confirmed in a voice rather resembling a growl. "Yes, I absolutely do, which is why I'm warning you not to, on penalty of death."

"But how will we know what would embarrass you?" Alice wondered, still playing the sweet and innocent card.

"Yeah, Bella. What might be embarrassing for you might not be embarrassing for me or Ali at all," Rose added, and Bell narrowed her eyes at the blond. She'd expected Rose, of all people, to be above this shit.

"When in doubt, don't do it," Bella stated through gritted teeth.

"You worry too much," Alice informed her with a wide smile. "We just love you and want you to be happy."

"And we want to make sure Eddie-boy is committed to making sure that happens," Rose agreed, pulling Bella from the chair. She and Alice shoved a selection of dresses at her, and frog-marched her towards the dressing rooms.

Bella just wanted the torture to be over.

The torture of the dress shopping was merely the beginning, unfortunately. At lunchtime the next day, Rosalie had picked up her and Alice and driven them to the spa for some primping and preening. They were given facials and mani-pedis before the 'artists' went to work on their hair and make-up. Bella was more than a little terrified by what they might do to her, so she made sure Alice directed the stylists to make Bella look natural.

"But sexy," Alice added sneakily, grinning at Bella.

The pixie would have to die. Oh yes. And Bella didn't care if it messed up her hair or she broke a nail in the process.

Amazingly enough, Bella didn't loathe what they did to her. Her make-up was, in fact, rather subdued compared to what she'd been expecting, and her hair wasn't sprayed within an inch of its life. Big, bouncy curls fell over her shoulders and down her back, shining in a way Bella knew she'd never, ever be able to duplicate, and was pulled back at the sides, apparently 'to accentuate 'those fantastic cheekbones of yours'.

When she put on the little black dress she'd finally ended up buying (it was actually kind of cute, she had to admit – strapless, belted around the waist, with a pleated, A-line skirt that hit a couple of inches above her knees) and the strappy black heels Alice had forced her to buy, Bella had to admit she looked… ridiculous. Well, no, she _looked_ good, but she _felt_ ridiculous.

"We, ladies, are absolutely gorgeous," Alice announced with a grin, spinning and checking out her reflection in the full-length mirror hanging on the wall of one of the two bedrooms in the hotel suite the group of them had reserved for the night. She was stunning in silver, while Rose was ravishing in red. Bella thought of herself as boring in black, but it was the only color she'd even consider.

"As usual," Rosalie confirmed, flipping her flat-ironed hair over her shoulder.

Bella rolled her eyes. Yes, her friends looked spectacular, but as Rose said, that was nothing new. But they were in their element, and they looked confident and completely self-assured, dressed to kill, while Bella felt like she was a little girl playing dress-up.

With a groan, Bella went to scrub her face, but Alice screeched and grabbed her hands to still them. "Don't! You'll ruin your makeup!"

"Oh god, no," Bella gasped, sarcasm weighing down the words.

With only 15 minutes before dinner was to begin, the three girls grabbed their purses and headed for the elevator. The trip downstairs seemed to take forever, and Bella was making herself remember not to bite her lip; her lipstick would end up all over her teeth, and she'd look like a bigger dork than she already felt. "Stop it," Bella hissed, batting at the hand Alice had hovering and plucking at Bella's hair, trying to fix a curl that was, apparently, misbehaving.

Taking no offense, Alice smiled and gave her a one-armed hug. "Don't be nervous. You look beautiful, and Edward won't know what hit him."

The elevator dinged happily as it arrived in the lobby, and the girls followed the signs towards the grand ballroom, where the night's festivities were to be held. Bella's heart was racing, and she was pretty sure she was shaking from her nerves. Her free hand sought out the bracelet Edward had given her, absently twisting it around her wrist. Honestly, a part of her was waiting to be disappointed, was expecting him to not be there. Again. So when they walked through the entryway, to find that their very handsome dates were all ready waiting, it was no surprise that Bella's knees very nearly gave out at the sight of Edward.

Both from relief, and from the picture he presented.

Looking impossibly gorgeous in a black suit, moss green shirt and matching tie, Edward leaned against the bar, watching the door, his damned sexy smirk spreading over his face when he spotted her. He let his eyes roam over her from head to toe and back again, lingering shamelessly on her legs and the small amount of cleavage revealed by the dress, before he finally met her eyes.

"Daaaaaamn," Rose muttered, eyeing the trio. "Would you take a look at our men? Who'd've thought they'd clean up so nice?"

Bella blinked, barely realizing Jasper and Emmett were even there. She couldn't help it, though. Edward quite literally took her breath away. Good god… that was her _date_.

_Only a year and a half late_, her inner voice hissed.

---

_Flashback_

_Alice was the embodiment of evil, and Bella was seriously considering rescinding the Best Friend title she'd bestowed upon the tiny girl less than a month after they'd first met. One of the main problems with Alice was that she didn't take no for an answer. Ever. _

_When Alice had informed Bella she wanted to go to prom, and wanted Bella to go with her and Tyler, of course Bella had declined. Well, it was more like she'd looked at Alice like the girl was on crack and informed her that there was no way in hell she was setting foot inside the gym when it was decorated with crepe paper streamers, balloons, and a disco ball._

_That had gone over really well. _

_Only not._

_Alice had turned pulled out everything from her bag of tricks – bribing, promising the moon, blackmail, and finally, when Bella foolishly thought she might get away with it, the puppy dog eyes with a heaping side of guilt. The brat had even managed to force tears to her eyes when she pleaded with Bella to reconsider._

"_I want my best friend with me, Bella. The night won't mean anything to me unless you're there."_

_When Bella pointed out that she didn't have a date, and wasn't going to go stag, Alice, of course, had a ready solution: "Ask Edward!"_

_Now, Bella was quite certain Alice had absolutely no knowledge of the unrequited crush Bella harbored for the heart-throb of Port Angeles, but that didn't make it any less mortifying. Cheeks flaming, she'd stuttered and stammered, protesting that there was no way she could possibly expect Edward to give up a Saturday night to go to the Forks High prom. With her, no less._

_Alice wouldn't hear a word of it. "Just ask him. You're his friend, he'll do this for you, I know it."_

_That was a week ago. Even though she and Edward had worked two shifts together since then, Bella hadn't been able to work up the courage to ask him yet. But she knew if she didn't do it soon, Alice would take things into her own devious little hands, and she absolutely could not allow that to happen._

_The only thing more embarrassing than asking Edward Cullen to be her date for prom would be having Alice ask him on her behalf._

_So wanting to avoid that at all cost, Bella would ask him after they closed. That way, when she was humiliated by him laughing in her face, she could go home and drown her sorrows in a pint of ice cream rather than put on a brave face for the rest of the shift. All day, though, Bella felt out of sorts, and Edward had noticed. He kept asking her if she was okay, if something was wrong, and his concern both helped her feel better, and made her dread the end of the shift. _

_And then, it was time. They were locking up the back door and ready to head to their cars. She couldn't put it off any longer, or Alice would kill her._

_If there was a time when Bella had been more nervous, she couldn't remember it._

_Gnawing her lower lip, she darted a glance Edward's way and blurted out, "Hey, can I ask a favor?"_

_He looked at her in surprise, but nodded. "Always, you know that," he assured her, flashing the crooked smile that made her want to do horribly inappropriate things with him. Her eyes darted away from him, deciding it would be a lot easier if she wasn't being mesmerized by his smile. Or his eyes. Or his damn sex hair._

"_Um, so, Alice is giving me a really hard time, and I don't want to go at all because it's just… yeah, no, not me at all," Bella started, knowing she was babbling but unable to stop herself. She was twisting the strap of her messenger bag, just to give her anxious hands something to do. Risking a glance back at Edward, she noted his bemused expression. Clearly, he didn't have a clue what she was rambling about. And she couldn't blame him. __**She**__ barely knew what she was saying. Dropping her gaze once again, she forced herself to continue. _

"_Alice wants to go to prom," she said after a deep, calming breath. "She's going with Tyler, but she wants me to go with them. But I need someone to go with me." There was no way she couldn't wince at how pathetic that sounded._

"_Are you asking me to be your date for prom?" The obvious amusement his voice made her wish the ground would open up right there and swallow her. She was grateful for the darkness to camouflage her burning cheeks._

"_As friends," Bella hastily added, hoping he wouldn't be too cruel if he didn't think she was delusional enough to think he'd want to go as her actual date. "I mean, you're one of my closest guy friends, so I just thought since I needed a guy to go with me, it made sense…" She shrugged awkwardly and once again sucked her lower lip into her mouth. His silence was killing her, but she couldn't look at him to try to figure out what he was thinking. Finally, she shook her head. "No, never mind. It was a stupid idea, forget it. I'll just tell Alice I'm not going. I don't want to go, anyway, so –"_

"_Bella," Edward interrupted with a soft chuckle as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Glancing up, she forced herself to meet his eyes. "Just… slow down. I thought you were channeling Alice for a second, there." He waited for her to take another couple of breaths, the continued. "When is it?"_

"_Um… the second-last Saturday in June," Bella replied. He… he wasn't seriously thinking about saying 'yes', was he? Or was he just asking so he could make sure he had something else planned for that night, as an excuse? Or –_

"_I'll go," he told her, nodding his head once and smiling. _

_Bella blinked at him in surprise. "Really?"_

"_Sure," Edward confirmed, shrugging as if it weren't that big a deal. "It'll be fun." He grinned. "And I'll get to see you dressed like a girl, which, really, is reason enough to go." _

_Pretending to take offense, Bella swatted his arm. "Ass."_

"_Hey, is that any way to treat your prom date?" Edward asked as he made a show of rubbing his arm._

_Bella rolled her eyes and smirked. "Wuss. But no, you're really okay with this? You can say no, I'll understand."_

_Now it was Edward's turn to roll his eyes. "Fuck, Bella, I said I'd go," he told her with a laugh. "If I didn't want to, I'd tell you. So shut up and give me the details."_

_Inside, she was positively giddy. On the outside, she made sure to convey none of that excitement, lest it be correctly interpreted and used against her at some time in the future. So as calmly as she could, Bella handed him the folded prom poster that she'd had stuffed between the pages of a text book. After reading it quickly, Edward nodded and pulled out his wallet._

"_What're you doing?" Bella wondered._

"_Seeing if I had enough money on me to cover the tickets so you could buy them tomorrow," he replied as he flipped the wallet open._

"_You're not paying," she informed him._

"_Of course I am," Edward told her. "I'm the guy, it's prom, I'm paying for the tickets."_

"_**I**__'m the one who asked __**you**__, it's __**my**__ school's prom, __**I**__'m paying for the tickets."_

_Edward pulled out some bills and handed them to her. "Take the money."_

"_No."_

"_Swan…"_

"_Cullen…"_

_He stared her down for a minute, then with reflexes far faster than she could ever hope to possess, Edward lunged forward, stuck his hand under the flap of her bag, and then darted away, a smug little grin on his face. "I always win, Swan. Don't ever forget that."_

_He was already in his car by the time Bella pulled out the money he'd given her. She'd sneak it back to him somehow, it was just a matter of how. Stubborn bastard. _

_Once she was safely inside the cab of her truck, Edward honked a farewell to her and pulled out of the parking lot. It was only then that she let the huge grin she'd been fighting spread across her face._

_She was going to prom with Edward Cullen. Fucking hell._

---

Pushing off the bar, Edward stalked towards her, eyes never leaving hers. He looked so incredible, Bella wasn't sure she remembered to breathe. How the hell was she going to survive the evening?

"Wow. You look incredible," he told her, grinning before leaning down and brushing a sweet, chaste kiss across her cheek.

Bella thought her face was going to burst into flames she was blushing so hotly. "Yeah, well, I feel like an idiot," she grumbled, then smirked at him. "You look okay, though, I guess."

Edward flashed that crooked smile that always made her want to drag him into the nearest closet and ravage him. "Missed you the last few days."

Her heart fluttered in the most ridiculous way possible. "Me too," she admitted softly, not completely comfortable admitting as much, but wanting him to know it wasn't one-sided. "Especially since I had to drive back with the love birds over there." Bella motioned towards Alice and Jasper, who were wrapped up in each other and completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

As usual.

"I was _this_ close to going into sugar shock," she mock-grumbled. "And becoming a circumstantial voyeur, which didn't thrill me, either. There are some things I never, _ever_ want to see."

Seriously, she honestly thought at one point that Alice was going to pull over and mount Jasper right there on the shoulder of the road, Bella's presence be damned.

A pair of powerful arms wrapped around her from behind, and Bella yelped as she was lifted into the air. "Bellarina, you look awesome," Emmett informed her, setting her back down with a wide grin. "Hey Eddie, you wanna swap dates for a while? Maybe work out some kind of... sharing arrangement?" He waggled his eyebrows, but instantly looked contrite when Rose glared at him. "Kidding, baby, I'm just kidding."

Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head. Riiiiiight. As if Rosalie had anything to worry about from her, for many reasons.

"Not on your life, Em," Edward laughed, then nodded at Rosalie and flashed a charming smile. "No offense, Rose."

"Don't worry, none taken," she assured him, thwapping Emmett upside the head.

Edward laughed and Bella felt a pleasant warmth flow through her as he wove their fingers together before tugging her gently as the four of them headed towards Jalice, who'd finally surfaced for air. The six of them made their way to their table.

Their tablemates were four young women, their age or just a little older, who were having a girls' night out to celebrate starting the new year with their newly-acquired single status. They were fun, though Bella wasn't entirely sure she liked the way one of them, a stunning redhead by the name of Tory, was eyeballing their men like they were items on a menu. One of the others, an exotic-looking girl called Maria, kept touching Jasper when she spoke with him, and Bella was sure it was just a matter of time before Alice ripped off the other girl's arm and beat her to death with it. The other two, Maggie and Carmen, seemed quite nice, though, and didn't express anything other than acceptably friendly interest in the three obviously-spoken-for boys.

Despite the efforts of everyone at the table, Bella mostly sat back and allowed the conversation to go on around her, rather than getting too involved. She was too caught up in her thoughts, in memories. She couldn't help but wonder whether things would've been different had Edward not ditched her on prom night. Yes, he'd apologized for profusely, but that hadn't left her any less embarrassed. And Alice had been seriously pissed until she spoke with Bella, after which point she was ready to throttle Edward with her tiny, bare hands.

She didn't want to dwell on those memories at all, though, instead replacing them with thoughts of the night they were currently celebrating. So despite her penchant for wallflowering around new people, Bella made and effort and actually struck up a conversation with Maggie about books and writing. But the other girl was so sweet and open that it was virtually impossible not to like her – especially when they discovered their shared aspirations of becoming writers some day.

"I'll make sure to email you the address of my cardboard box before I graduate," Maggie promised with a grin.

Laughing, Bella nodded. "Maybe we can panhandle together: 'Prose for Pocket Change.'"

"Poetry for Pennies?" Maggie volleyed back. Tory chose that moment to waltz over and drag Maggie out onto the dance floor. "Hold that thought. When I get back, we'll keep brainstorming!"

Bella laughed and watched them go, then shivered as gentle fingers stroked from her neck to her shoulder to get her attention. She hadn't realized Edward had come back from his trip to the bar to get fresh drinks, but she smiled and leaned back into his touch. "I'd never let you live in a cardboard box," Edward promised, with a grin. Apparently he'd been back longer than she'd realized. "I'll share my orange crate with you. I'll write the music, you write the lyrics. We'll be the most popular homeless street performers in all of Seattle."

Accepting her drink from him, Bella smirked. "No way, Cullen. If we're living on the streets, we're going to do it somewhere warm. Like San Diego, maybe."

He considered that as he sipped from his glass. "Warm weather means skimpy clothes," Edward mused, thumb stroking her bare shoulder. Then he nodded to himself and grinned. "San Diego it is."

"Perv," Bella grumbled, but without any actual annoyance. Now that she knew Edward wasn't just bullshitting, she was actually enjoying his blatant flirting and innuendo.

Not that she could let him know that, though. She'd never hear the end of it.

"Are you having a good time? You seemed a little distracted earlier."

Crap. It figured Edward would notice when she was wrapped up in her own head. Deciding for partial honesty, Bella shrugged. "I'm enjoying the company. But this whole thing…" Bella indicated the room around them, filled with formally-dressed dancing couples. "This isn't really _me_, y'know? But it made Alice happy to plan this, so…"

Edward took her hand and stroked his thumb across her knuckles. "We don't have to stay if you don't want to."

She quirked her eyebrow at him. "It's not midnight yet."

It was Edward's turn to shrug, and he shot her a mischievous grin. "So?"

"_So_?" Bella repeated with a laugh. "So isn't that the whole point of tonight? To ring in the new year with our friends?"

He lifted her hand and lighted brushed his lips across the back of it. "As long as I get to ring it in with you, I'll be happy."

Oh… oh, that was just _completely_ unfair. Who taught him this charming crap? Did he take lessons, or did it come naturally?

"So what would you suggest?" Bella was more than a little annoyed that her voice sounded breathy.

"Well, we could snag a bottle of champagne from the bar and go up to the room to watch the ball drop on TV," Edward suggested.

She'd be lying if she said that idea wasn't insanely appealing. But looking out at the dance floor, she saw how happy Alice and Rosalie seemed, and she knew she couldn't screw up the night by bailing. Especially not when it was so close to magic time.

Heaving a sad sigh, Bella shook her head. "We can't," she said sadly. "Let's just stay until midnight, then we can make a break for it."

"Fine," Edward mock-grumbled. "But just for that, I'm making you dance with me."

Not giving her a chance to protest, he gently pulled her from her seat and steered her towards the dance floor, taking up a position near their friends. The music changed and slowed, and Edward grinned wolfishly as he took her in his arms.

"This is better," he murmured, the hand on the small of her back urging her closer, and Bella had to agree. She let herself mold against him, her cheek resting against his chest. Beneath her ear, she could hear his heart racing, and it made her smile. Apparently he wasn't actually as calm, cool, and collected as he appeared. That was very good to know.

When the music changed back to something more up-tempo, the six friends began dancing as a group, swapping partners randomly and just having fun. Emmett picked her up and spun her around like she weighed nothing, and Jasper, an exceptional dancer, smoothly twirled her around the floor. They even got silly and did the Macarena when the DJ was sadistic enough to play it.

At five minutes 'til midnight, waiters bearing trays of champagne flutes circulated, ensuring every guest would be able to toast. Bella felt her nerves taking hold again as the seconds ticked down, wondering whether Edward would kiss her.

Well, no, she assumed he _would_ kiss her, it was just a matter of _how_ he'd kiss her. When then 30-second countdown began, couples around the room paired off, and Bella leaned in to Edward as he slipped his arm around her waist.

At the 10-second mark, everyone in the room loudly joined in. And then there were shouts of 'Happy New Year', and Edward turned to face Bella, tightening his arm around her. He held her gaze as he lowered his head, and then his lips were on hers, feather-light. "Happy New Year, Bella," he murmured, then deepened the kiss as Auld Lang Syne began playing.

Eyes fluttering closed, Bella lost herself in the feel of his lips, so soft and warm and insistent. She was incredibly frustrated by the glass of champagne in her hand, because it prevented her from burying both her hands in his hair and holding him close.

Slowly, she became vaguely aware of her surroundings again, noticing that confetti and balloons were raining down on them. Hooting and catcalling also seemed to be coming from nearby, and when Edward pulled away, Bella blinked and looked around. Their friends were watching them, grins on their faces, applauding and whistling and cheering them on.

Instantly, Bella's cheeks flushed hot, and she turned to bury her face in Edward's chest, wanting to die of embarrassment. To distract her, she was sure, Edward clinked his glass lightly against hers, then raised it to their friends. "Here's to a new year," he proposed, and Bella glanced up at him to see him smiling down at her, "and another chance to get things right."

The significance of the toast wasn't lost on her for a second, and Bella smiled back, trying to tell him with her eyes that she wanted the same thing.

Glasses were raised with a resounding "Cheers!", and everyone drank happily. Waiters quickly came around with trays to collect the empty glasses, and slow, romantic, classic melodies filled the room. Once again, Edward drew Bella into his arms, tucking her head under his chin, and she sighed happily. They fit together perfectly, it seemed, and she really had no desire to ever leave the circle of his arms. His lips brushed the crown of her head, and she smiled, giving him a little squeeze around his waist to acknowledge the gesture.

"Are you having a better time now, or do you still want to head upstairs?" She couldn't help the shiver that went through her as his warm breath puffed against her cheek, his lips just grazing her skin.

"I'm having a perfect time," she admitted, then paused and took a breath to gather her courage. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to head upstairs."

Edward's hold on her tightened briefly, before he stepped back, keeping his arm around her waist. "We'll catch you guys upstairs," he informed the others, who seemed not at all concerned that a third of their little group was bailing.

It was only when they were in the elevator that Bella realized she hadn't exchanged contact information with Maggie, but mentally waved off any concern. In the grand scheme of things, that didn't matter at all.

Slipping the key card from his wallet, Edward opened the door and swept his arm forward, motioning for her to enter before him. No more than three steps into the room, Bella felt two lean, strong arms wrap around her and a face nuzzle into her neck. Letting her head loll to the side, she leaned back against him, placing her hands over his. She sucked in a sharp breath when his lips pressed against her neck, causing him to chuckle. The vibrations went through her back and tickled where he kissed her, causing her to squirm away break from his hold. Before she could get too far, though, he snagged her hand and pulled her back to him.

"So…," he began, the intensity in his eyes belying the casualness of his tone, "where are you sleeping tonight?"

Smirking, Bella nodded towards the sofa. "Pull-out bed."

"Hmmm," Edward hummed, nodding, pretending that he didn't all ready know. "And do you know where _I_'m sleeping?"

Bella swallowed a laugh. "Pull-out bed," she confirmed, playing his game for now.

Wrapping both arms around her, he peered down at her, brows furrowed very slightly. "How come they get the bedrooms, and we're stuck out here in the communal area… with no privacy?"

"Well, they're going to actually need the privacy to do… whatever it is they might want to do together tonight," she explained, speaking to him slowly, as if he were a small child.

"And we won't?"

Snorting out a laugh, Bella placed her hands on his chest and shoved him away at the same time as she took several steps backwards. "This is our first date, Cullen," she reminded him. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

Edward bared his teeth in a wide, predatory smile. "_My_ kind of girl," he assured her, stalking slowly towards her.

Bella quirked an eyebrow in challenge. "Oh yeah?"

"Swan," he fairly growled her name, causing her to shiver.

"Cullen…," she shot back with a teasing grin.

The backs of her legs hit the edge of the sofa, and Bella could retreat no further.

_Uh-oh._

Edward slipped his arms around her waist again and pulled her tightly against him. "Why do you always have to be such a pain in the ass," he wondered idly, nuzzling the side of her neck. Bella's skin exploded in goose-bumps, and Edward chuckled, apparently taking note of her reaction. "You make things so difficult."

"I do, I really do," she agreed, though her voice was far more breathy than she'd intended. Damn him! His tongue flicked out and licked where his lips had just been, and her belly lurched. "Uhn, god…"

Edward moved one of his hands, letting it stroke up and down her back. "So answer the question," he commanded quietly, the words puffing against her neck. His lips brushed along her throat, and Bella swallowed back a whimper.

"And the question was...," she murmured.

"Why," he nipped at her neck, "do you," he nuzzled the spot behind her ear, "have to be," his fingers danced lightly across her back, just above the bodice of her dress, "such a pain," his trailed lower, "in," and lower, "the," and lower, "ass?" His hand cupped her butt and gave a gentle, teasing squeeze.

Her first instinct was, of course, to say yes to anything that came out of his luscious and talented mouth. But then her brain kicked back in, and she realized what he'd tried to do. Recovering as much as she could considering his close proximity, she urged him backwards slightly.

"I think," Bella mused, standing on her toes and brushing the tip of her nose along the underside of his jaw; he'd shaved recently, and his skin was incredibly smooth, "that you're going to need to do more than take me on one little date before you get into my pants."

If he was shocked by her words, he didn't show it. "You're not wearing pants," he pointed out huskily. His hand was suddenly stroking up the outside of her thigh, and Bella instinctively bit at her lower lip to suppress a groan.

Bending his knees, Edward crouched down, wrapped his arms behind Bella's legs, and she squeaked as he lifted her off the ground. He turned around and lowered himself to the couch, settling Bella onto his lap, knees resting on the cushion on either side of his thighs.

"Hi," he murmured, his gaze roaming her face so that she could practically feel its caress. "

"Hi," she whispered back. Resting her hands on his chest, she smiled self-consciously.

"Have I told you how incredible you look tonight?"

Pursing her lips, Bella pretending to be deep in thought. "Maybe once, I think. But I wouldn't mind hearing it again."

In a flash, Edward's hands were in her hair, pulling her forward and meeting her halfway, crushing his lips to hers. Mouths parted and tongues collided, circling and sparring as hands clasped and stroked. His hands slid from her hair, stroking down her back firmly, settling on her hips, where musician's fingers dug into the soft flesh. Bella fought back the whimper that was begging to be released, and let him slide her forward so that she straddled his lap. They both felt a hitch in their breathing as she settled against the hard bulge in his dress pants, and Edward held her in place, swallowing her moan and giving her one in return.

Bella didn't think he'd take things too far, so she didn't protest when his gentle, inquisitive hands slid down the curve of her hips, stroking down until he reached the hem of her skirt, bunched up around her upper thighs. She gasped against his mouth as she felt his hands carefully slip under the black taffeta and clasp her thighs gently before moving to trail leisurely up and down the outside of her thighs.

Her own hands found the barrier presented by his jacket completely unacceptable, and Bella began trying to shove it off his shoulders. Quickly understanding her goal, Edward pulled away slightly and shrugged off the offending garment. Grasping his tie, she yanked him back to her, deciding their lips had been apart long enough, and she felt a growl rumble deep in his chest. Clearly he approved, because he was crushing her to him, his hands clutching at every part of her he could reach.

Shifting his hips restlessly, Edward pressed up against her, causing a bolt of electricity to shoot through her body. It had been so incredibly long since she'd been in a situation like this that she'd almost forgotten how incredible it could feel. And somehow, it seemed even better than she'd remembered.

She suspected that had something to do with the boy beneath her, whose slender hips were arching towards hers, and whose hands were busy roaming her body.

Bella's determination to take the physical part of things slow was quickly waning.

One of Edward's hands was stroking her back, gradually sliding around to her side, brushing the side of her breast with each pass. When she made no protest, he tentatively moved his hand around to her front, cupping her gently. Bella arched into his touch, emboldening him, and his grip tightened slightly, massaging her through the fabric of her dress and bra.

She whimpered softly, and Edward groaned.

"God, Bella," he breathed against her lips, trailing kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Bella's head rolled back, exposing her throat to his worshipful mouth as her fingers clutched at his ridiculously soft hair. He nipped at her shoulder, kissed across her collar bone, and lightly licked the hollow at the base of her throat. That spring that resided low in her stomach and had been in what practically amounted to suspended animation, began to awaken, slowly coiling, spreading heat and electricity as it did.

They were both breathing heavily now, and she knew they'd have to stop. Soon.

But god, she didn't want to. Possibly ever.

Of course, nor did she want Edward to think she was easy, that she was one of those girls with whom all he had to was smile for her panties to magically disappear as she lay back with her legs spread for him.

No matter how appealing the thought of doing exactly that was.

While his mouth continued lavishing attention on her collar bone, his one hand remained on her breast, while the other traveled lower, under her skirt and up to cup her ass. She sent up a silent thank you to Alice for insisting she wear cute underwear. He pressed his hand against her cheek, urging her forward and down as his hips rose to meet her, hitting her in precisely _that spot_.

"Oh, fuck," she gasped in a whisper, clenching her eyes shut tightly as Edward hummed against her throat.

"Hmmm," he agreed, arching up against her again and rotating his hips in a circular motion. Bella felt her resolve quickly slip further as heat blossomed through her belly and groin, spreading out and intensifying.

Heaving a breath that sounded more like a sob than anything, Bella cupped Edward's jaw and tried to pull him up from the spot he was enthralled with on her throat. "Edward," she pleaded softly, "Edward, wait. We have to – oh _god _that feels so good...," she trailed off with a moan, before mentally slapping herself. "No! Dammit, we have to slow down." He showed very little indication that he'd heard her. "Edward," she tried again, shifting her hips away from his as he rocked towards her again. Grasping his hair she gave a sharp tug, urging him to look up at her.

And she didn't think she'd ever seen anything sexier in her life than Edward at that moment. His incredible eyes were hooded and foggy with desire, cheeks flushed pink, his lips puffy and parted as he fought for breath, his sex hair definitely earning its name. Looking at him, she couldn't remember, not for the life of her, why she'd asked him to stop.

Bella could actually pinpoint the exact moment realization struck him, and he came back to himself. His eyes widened slightly and he leaned back heavily against the sofa, raking his hand through his already disheveled hair.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, drawing his hand down and rubbing his face. "Fuck, Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take things that far –"

Rolling her eyes, she pulled his hand away. "You can knock it off with the self-flagellation, Cullen," she ordered. "There were two of us participating here, in case you missed it, and I wasn't exactly discouraging you." Her cheeks flamed at the truth of those words, and her gaze dropped to study the knot in his tie. She only looked back up when Edward cupped her cheek and gently tipped her head up.

"You okay?" The concern in his eyes melted her, and she leaned forward to drop a soft, quick kiss to his lips.

"I'm better than okay," she assured him with a smirk. "You?"

Apparently satisfied that things were okay between them, Edward's lips curled up in the most delicious crooked grin _ever_. "I don't think I've ever been this okay in my entire life," he admitted, stroking his thumb lightly over her cheekbone. Bella's blush intensified, and she smiled shyly as she ducked her head, causing Edward to laugh softly at her. "All right, Swan, off," he wiggled his legs. "I need to calm down, and I'm sure as hell not gonna be able to do that with you straddling me."

Smirking, Bella let him tip her off to the side, and accepted his help to balance as she climbed off his lap. She started to stand, but he lunged forward and grabbed her around the waist. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" She let out a little yelp as he pulled her down onto the couch next to him, snuggling her against his side. "Just because I can't have you sitting on me doesn't mean I don't want you as close as you can get."

Biting her lip to keep her smile from splitting her face, she cuddled up, tucking her feet beneath her and tentatively resting her arm across his middle. And that? Was about perfect. Especially when he guided her head to lie on his chest, and his fingers gently dragged through her hair. The soothing gesture drew from her a sound disturbingly close to a purr, and Edward's chest shook slightly with his silent laughter. "I never would've had you pegged as a girl who likes to have her hair played with," he mused.

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "Haven't you never seen the way Alice plays with it when we're all just sitting around? She wouldn't get away with it if I didn't like it."

They were quiet for a long moment, simply enjoying each other's company. Bella could hear his heart rate gradually slowing, his breathing returning to normal, and knew her own was doing the same.

"So..," Edward eventually said, his voice quiet. "Was tonight an okay first date?"

"Hmmm," Bella mused, pretending to ponder the question seriously, then lied, "I've had better."

Edward barked out an incredulous laugh. "Nice, Swan, really nice," he chuckled, then kissed her head again. "Was it good enough to score a second date?"

"Weeeeeell," she hedged, and giggled when he poked her waist, inadvertently hitting a particularly ticklish spot. "Yes, okay? Yes. You can have a second date."

Reaching over with his other arm, he tipped her chin up and smiled down at her. "What about a third? And a fourth? And a tenth?"

"One date at a time, Cullen," she warned him smugly. "You've gotta work for this."

"Of course you wouldn't make this easy," Edward mock-grumbled.

"Why would I start now?" Bella quipped.

"Well, Swan, just consider yourself warned," he said, eyes bright with mischief. "Because it's _on_, and when I'm done with my devious plan to sweep you off your feet? You're _never_ gonna want to let me go."

Bella laughed and shook her head at the beautiful boy before her, all the while wondering what he'd say if he knew she was already almost there.

* * *

_**Once again, guys, your response has blown me away. I'm so incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm for and support of this story. It means a lot to me, so... thank you. :)**_

_**And for anyone curious, there are links on my profile page for the girls' dresses.**_


	16. Chapter 16

**_Many thanks to Twilightzoner for her awesome beta skills on this chapter._**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

On New Year's morning, the six friends crawled out of bed and checked out of the hotel, then reconvened back at Emmett and Jasper's apartment. Since the dorms weren't open again for another week and a bit, the girls had all made arrangements to crash with the boys – Rose and Alice with their boyfriends, obviously, and Bella with Edward. Even before the dramatic shift in the nature of their relationship, Edward had been psyched about Bella staying with him. But now that they'd moved on to being more than just friends, he was ecstatic to get her to himself for eight whole nights.

All of them feeling a little worse for wear after getting so little sleep the night before, they'd opted for a low-key day of lazing around and watching movies. For Christmas, Jasper had gotten a DVD collection of the best of Stephen King, so they'd decided to work their way through those. During _Pet Sematary_, Edward sat with his arm around Bella, curling and uncurling a lock of her hair around his finger as she rested her head against his chest. Every once in a while, she'd jump because of something on screen, or curl up on herself to hide her face. It was ridiculously cute and just made him adore her even more.

"I would never mess with something like that," Alice announced as the movie ended, and Jasper tipped her from his lap so he could swap the DVD for the next one.

"What, bury someone in scared ground?" Edward wondered.

"Yeah, and to try to bring someone – or something – back from the dead," she clarified with a shudder. "It's just… _wrong_. Everything and everybody dies, it's sad but it's natural. And to mess with that? Asking for trouble."

"It's a movie, Al," Bella chuckled, sitting up slightly and stretching. It was impossible for Edward to keep from letting his hand drift to her waist and settle on the strip of bare skin revealed by her t-shirt when she lifted her arms. Her skin was just so incredibly soft. He hadn't had a chance to touch nearly as much of it as he'd like, but he could be patient.

No, really. He could.

"But there's enough folklore about it that you have to wonder if there's not a bit of truth behind it," Rose pointed out. "Zombies, vampires, ghosts… there are myths about coming back from the dead dating back for… ever, almost. Where do you think they came from? Most legends are based on some kind of actual occurrence."

"Researchers are always experimenting with that kind of stuff," Edward chimed in, stroking his thumb along the curve of Bella's waist. "I heard about some scientists managing it with dogs, a while back. The trick is to keep the core body temperature low enough so that there's no organ deterioration and no brain damage."

The room went quiet, all eyes on him. Even Bella had twisted on her part of the loveseat they shared to give him a look.

"Dude," Emmett said with an exaggerated shudder, "you're a creepy fucker."

Bella snorted out a laugh of what Edward could only assume was agreement, but he just shrugged, feeling only mildly defensive. "What? I'm not pre-med anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't like to keep up on that stuff."

"Once a science geek, always a science geek," Bella teased with a smirk.

"Once a literature nerd, always a literature nerd," he shot back, snaking his arm around her and yanking her back against him. She laughed but didn't resist, instead curling up with him in a way that made Edward feel all warm and fuzzy.

Towards the end of _Carrie_, the bags of snacks that had been circulating seemed to lose their appeal, and Jasper made a call for Chinese. Wong's didn't look like much from the outside – little more than a hole in the wall with seating for about 25 people, if you didn't mind sitting like sardines – but it was one of the hidden gems of Seattle. It was the go-to place for everyone within a mile radius, and there were more regulars who drove in from other parts of the city, in part for the honor of having what were arguably the best egg rolls on the West coast. And luckily enough, it was only two blocks from the boys' building.

"I wish I had telekinesis," Rose mused as the credits began to roll. "I would've made my prom so much more interesting."

"Let me guess," Jasper drawled, "you were Prom Queen?"

"Of course," Rosalie huffed, but her lips were curled in a devious smile. "That doesn't mean there weren't some bitches I wouldn't have _loved_ to have gone Carrie on, though."

"What I don't get is why proms on TV and in movies are so lavish," Alice sighed wistfully. "Both of ours were lame."

Bella shifted, and Edward glanced down, noting she'd stiffened slightly in his arms.

"Both?" Rosalie wondered.

Alice nodded. "Prom was for juniors and seniors, because our school was so small. They needed the numbers to justify the expense."

"I don't know if that would be awesome or if it would suck," Emmett admitted. "You and Bellarina got some good stories?"

"I didn't go," Bella cut in quickly

"Not to either?" Rosalie asked, a disbelieving look on her face.

"Well, that's not completely true, Bella," Alice corrected, and Bella's head shot up so, Edward guessed, she could glare across the room at her friend. "You went to the one in junior year, you just –"

"Alice," Bella hissed, stiffening in his arms and sitting up, swiveling so that her feet were on the floor.

What did Alice mean, Bella had gone to prom? He'd called her early enough to cancel, and she'd told him she'd gotten the message… Edward blanched and watched as Alice's gaze darted from him to Bella and back again. "Never mind," she muttered.

"Um… what the fuck's going on?" Rose asked, looking between Edward, Bella, and Alice.

"I'm not sure," Edward admitted. "But Bella and I are gonna go pick up dinner, so we'll be back in a bit." The fact that she didn't protest when he dragged her to her feet wasn't a good sign.

They dressed for the cold and wet in silence, and Edward ushered her through the door with a gentle hand on the small of her back. They walked in silence for a block or so, Edward glancing down at Bella every few seconds to try to get a read on her.

"Got something to tell me?" Edward finally blurted out, frowning when she seemed to startle at the sound of his voice.

"Not really," she replied quietly. Tugging her scarf up over her chin, she then stuffed her hands in the pockets of her coat, not even granting Edward the pleasure of being able to hold her hand as they walked.

"Bullshit," he challenged. "C'mon, Bella. What was Alice talking about? You didn't tell me you actually went that night."

"You didn't ask," Bella muttered, her words only slightly muffled by her scarf.

"I did so!" Edward exclaimed, growing more agitated as the conversation, such as it was, continued. He knew it was due to the revived guilt that had been gnawing at gut since Alice had said what she had.

"You didn't," she repeated, shaking her head and sending snowflakes fluttering from her hair.

He could've sworn…

**---**

_Flashback_

_Edward was in a mild state of panic, pacing his room and ripping his hands through his hair in frustration. What the fuck was he going to do? In less than six hours, he was supposed to be meeting Bella at her school to escort her to prom._

_As her __**friend**__._

_When she'd first asked him, he'd done a little happy dance inside. Bella was asking him to prom. That had to mean something, right? Maybe she felt the same way about him as he did about her._

_What he couldn't decide was whether that would've been a good thing or a bad thing. He hadn't had a chance to figure it out, because next thing he knew, she was sucker punching him with the "F" word: friend._

_Bella was asking Edward to go to prom with her as her __**friend**__. Not as a date, as friends. But even as he was socked square in the stomach by her clarification, he could see how hard it was for her to even ask him. He remembered telling her once that she could always count on him, and the thought of spending an evening with her, regardless of whether it was a date or not, wasn't exactly terrible._

_So, of course he'd said yes._

_But then his buddies at school had found out. They'd been trying to get him to agree to a weekend of drunken debauchery in celebration of his 18__th__ birthday, but he'd had to decline. They'd pushed, and he'd stupidly admitted he was going to the Forks High prom._

_The teasing and taunting had begun immediately, and had only escalated when they discovered that his date was not the hot blond he'd messed around with a few times (as if he'd go with Lauren), who would've been acceptable in their eyes, but Bella. A couple of the guys had paid Edward a visit at Java Jive, and knew exactly who his "friend from work" was. Phrases like 'pity date', 'desperate', 'easy lay', and 'low standards' were all tossed around, and to his eternal shame, Edward hadn't defended her other than to say, once, "She's actually pretty cool when you get to know her." And when his so-called friends accused him of trading in his dick for a vagina, he decided it was better just to shut up._

_He'd never hated himself more. _

_And there he was, the day of Bella's prom, and he was considering bailing. Why? Because he was stupid. And a pussy. And far too influenced by what his peers thought and said than he'd ever want to admit._

_Well, if he were being completely honest, that was just the convenient excuse. He also had to factor in the fact that he liked Bella. A lot. And even if she liked him back, which he figured she didn't, it would be pointless to start anything now, when he would be heading off to college in three months. It was going to be hard enough leaving her, but if they were dating? It would be agony._

_Okay, he had to do it before he lost his nerve. _

_Pulling out his cell, he opened the address book, scanning for her name. _

"_Fuck," he exclaimed. "God fucking dammit!"_

_He didn't have Bella's phone number. _

_**Think, Cullen. Think! **__Cell phone numbers were hard to track down, but land lines…_

_Edward quickly booted up his laptop and pulled up four-one-one. A search for "Swan" in "Forks" gave him exactly one result: the home phone number of Chief Charles Swan. Not exactly ideal, but it would have to do._

_The call went to voice mail after four rings, and Edward wasn't sure if he was pissed or relieved. "Uh, hey Bella, it's Edward. This is the only number I could find for you, so I hope you get this message. Um, something's come up, an emergency," he winced at the lie, "and I won't be able to make it tonight. I'm really sorry. But I know you didn't really want to go anyway, you were only going because Alice was making you, so I figure this is a good out for you, right?" Okay, he was rambling now. Shit. "Um, yeah, anyway, sorry about the short notice, but I'll make it up to you, okay?" He paused, wondering if there was something else he could say to make himself sound like even a little bit less of an asshole. He came up blank. "I'll see you at work. Bye." He thumbed the 'end' button and tossed the phone aside as if it burned him._

_If possible, he felt even worse than before he'd made the call._

_Clutching angrily at his hair, Edward continued pacing the floor, muttering and cursing himself under his breath. _

_He was scum. _

_No, he was worse than scum. He made scum look good and honorable. _

_Hopefully, Bella wouldn't hate him too much._

_Edward had spent the rest of the weekend in bed, telling his parents he was sick. It wasn't a complete lie, because he certainly felt like shit. By the time Monday evening rolled around, his next scheduled shift with Bella, he could hardly sit still. He was dreading seeing her, but at the same time, he desperately needed to know that she didn't hate him._

_He got to Java Jive early and waited in the parking lot. Soon enough, he heard the telltale rumbling of her old truck as it chugged its way up the street, grunting as it turned into the parking lot. Bella pulled into her normal spot, and hopped out before her gaze fell on him._

_He couldn't read her. At all. He had no clue whatsoever what was going through her head._

"_Hey, Cullen," she greeted with a half smile._

"_Hey," Edward replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He couldn't wait, couldn't handle any small talk, so he jumped right in. "You got my message Saturday?"_

_Bella's teeth tugged at her lower lip, and she nodded. "Yeah, I got it. Everything okay?"_

_He blinked. "Huh?"_

"_I asked if everything was okay," she repeated, tucking her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "You said there was an emergency, so I was just worried…"_

_Fuck. He had said that, hadn't he? Stupid fake excuses!_

"_Yeah, no, everything's fine," Edward assured her. "Turns out it wasn't as much of an emergency as I thought. I feel really bad, Bella. I'm sorry I had to cancel."_

"_Not a big deal," she assured him with a shake of her head. Brushing past him, Bella headed for the back door. "You said it yourself; I didn't really want to go, anyway."_

_She sounded like she meant it, but… Edward reached out and gently gripped her shoulder, turning her towards him. Bella looked up at him, meeting his gaze steadily. He saw no hint of anger, no tears, nothing to make him think she hated him. Thank god. "I really am sorry."_

_Again, Bella offered a lopsided smile. "Don't be," she assured him. "It's okay. Really."_

_Letting out a sigh of relief, Edward finally let himself smile as he gathered her in his arms for a hug. "I was so worried you'd be pissed," he admitted, smiling when he felt her hug him back._

"_I'm not pissed," she confirmed with a chuckle. "But you're crushing me, Cullen, so let go before you break a rib."_

_He reluctantly released her, but kept his arm around her shoulders as he guided her through the back entrance of the shop. Bella didn't hate him. They were still friends, and everything was fine._

_It felt like a giant weight had been lifted from his chest, and he could breathe properly for the first time in three days. It felt good. _

**---**

"I remember specifically asking you if you got my message," Edward informed her, tugging her to a stop.

"And I said I did," Bella agreed. "I just didn't tell you _when_ I got it."

Oh, hell. She was right.

"_When_ did you get the message, Bella?" His voice was soft, remorseful, as he looked down and tried to will away the emotionless mask that was now concealing her features.

"After I got home from the dance," she said quietly. "I spent the day with Alice, we got ready at her house, then we went straight to the school to meet up with you and Tyler."

And he hadn't shown up.

Well, fuck.

"Christ, Bella, I'm so-"

"Just don't, okay?" Bella pleaded, looking up at him from behind her long, dark lashes. "It happened, it sucked, it's history. Let's just move on."

"I don't want to just move on," Edward protested, cupping her cheek with one glove-covered hand. "I fucked up. I really, really fucked up. And I'm so sorry."

"I told you, it's _fine_. It's not your fault I didn't get the message in time."

"No, it's not fucking fine!" He finally exploded, stepping away from Bella and smacking his open palm against the post of a nearby street light. "How long did you stay?"

"What?"

"How long did you stay at the prom before you went home?"

Bella sighed. "I don't know. A couple of hours, I guess."

Christ. She'd waited for him for a couple of _hours_? Nobody went to prom alone, ever, so everyone would've known she'd been stood up, even if they hadn't necessarily known by whom.

"And that's when you got my message?"

Nodding, she leaned back against the brick wall of the building in front of which they'd stopped.

"You thought I'd stood you up," he surmised, not making it a question. And he had, in a way, but not really… he'd called, after all, he just hadn't given her a whole lot of warning. Which didn't make it a whole lot better. "And so did everyone else, probably." When Bella nodded again, he wanted to cry.

"I'm such an asshole," he whispered, scrubbing his hands over his face. "I'm lucky you ever spoke to me again."

"Yeah, you are," she agreed with a crooked little smile.

Looking down at her, cheeks and the tip of her little nose pink from the cold, brown eyes even darker under the yellow streetlamp, dark curls whipping around her face with the wind and snow, he knew he owed her the truth. Even if she killed him for it.

"Bella," Edward began slowly, dropping his gaze to her multi-colored scarf. "I… fuck. I lied. About why I couldn't make it that night."

To his surprise, she simply nodded. "I figured."

His brow drew together. "And you let me get away with it?" That didn't make sense to him, knowing Bella as he did. "What did you think the real reason was?"

Shrugging, she ducked her head slightly. "Could've been anything, really. You got a better offer was the one I had my money on."

He simply gaped at her for a moment as he tried to wrap his brain around that. "You thought I'd stood you up because I got a _better offer_? And you didn't try to have me killed?"

Bella huffed out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "So it was a lot less humiliating to let you think I believed the lie than to hear what I figured was the truth. And it's not like I would've blamed you," she told him, as if it were obvious. "I mean, you were… you. And I was me, and I was expecting you to go slumming and go to the stupid Forks High prom. With _me_, of all people. So no, I wouldn't have blamed you for canceling if you got a better offer."

Hurt, guilt, and disbelief warred for dominance as he watched her. He was hurt that she could think that of him, but then it hit him – she wasn't that far off. He hadn't bailed because he had a date with someone better, but because he'd caved to peer pressure about the date he'd had.

"I was a chicken shit," he informed her, disgusted by himself. "I was getting crap from the guys at school, and… Fuck, you scared the hell out of me, Bella, and I panicked. You know damn well what an asshole I could be back then." He pointedly ignored the smirk that suddenly appeared on her face. "I was freaking out, and I let the prick take over again for a while. I bailed because I was scared. Stupid, but true."

"I _scared_ you?" Bella asked, eyebrows climbing high in amused disbelief.

"Big time," Edward confirmed. "I changed a lot after I met you, and it scared me that you had so much power over me. It sounds stupid, and I know it's a movie line, but you really did make me want to be a better person... a better man."

It was the truth, too, and amazed him to this day. How had one tiny, mouthy, wonderful girl turned his world upside down so completely? How had she had such a profound effect on him? On his entire life?

"And I liked you. A lot. More than I thought I should've. That _terrified_ me, because not only were you really different from anyone I'd ever dated, but you really _knew_ me, and that scared me, too. I could've fucked up in so many different ways."

"Like…?"

"Like taking you to prom and trying to kiss you," he informed her, his smile rather wry.

Bella blinked at him, then closed her eyes and let her head fall back gently against the wall. "Un-fucking-believable," she muttered.

Forcing himself to calm down, Edward stood close to her, lifting a hand to brush her cheek. "What?"

Chuckling, she opened her eyes. "I had the stupidest, biggest crush on you," she admitted quietly, cheeks now bright red in the dim light.

Now it was Edward's turn to blink stupidly. "Huh?"

"For ages," Bella admitted. "I had a huge crush on you, and I was convinced you only saw me as just your work buddy."

With a bark of disbelieving laughter, he shook his head and gently drew Bella into his arms. "God, we were stupid," Edward murmured into her hair. They just held each other for a long moment, the scent of her shampoo wrapping him in comfort. He could never get enough of that smell. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I fucked up so bad, and then I pulled the asshole move when I left for school… I can't believe you're still here. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

A rumble of laughter bubbled up from the vicinity of his chest, and he peered down at Bella. She tipped her head back, full lips in a playful smirk. "Obviously, you were really, really bad in a past life, and I'm your punishment."

He couldn't help but laugh before he dipped his head and pressed a sweet, loving kiss to her lips. When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. "I'll make it up to you, I promise," he vowed. "I know I let you down, I know I hurt you, and I'm me, so I'm sure I'll screw up again at some point. Probably more than once. But I promise, from now on I'll always be here for you when you need me. Okay? I swear, Bella."

Before her eyes drifted shut, Edward was sure he saw tears forming. But none fell as she smiled serenely and nodded. "Okay."

Relieved and happy, he kissed her again. In perfect tandem, their mouths parted, tongue darting out to stroke each other, to delve into the other's mouth. It took mere seconds for Edward's pulse to start racing, and he slid his arms around Bella to pull her closer. He'd gone too many hours without kissing her like this, and he never wanted to have to endure that again.

After a moment, though, Bella slid her hands from his waist to his chest and shoved him backwards. "Uh, uh, uh. We can make out later, Cullen," she informed him lightly, breathing only slightly increased. "We have dinner to pick up, and I'm fucking starving."

"Nice language, Swan," he observed with a smirk as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her towards Wong's. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Kissing isn't what this mouth is best at," Bella shot back with a saucy tilt of her chin, and Edward stumbled as his mind dove straight into the gutter.

"No?" His voice sounded choked to his own ears, and he swallowed. Hard.

"Nope," she confirmed, grinning smugly.

"What... what _is_ it best at?" Edward was quite proud of himself for keeping his voice from breaking. The stammering he couldn't do a damn thing about, not when she was saying things like that.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes. Yes I would," he assured her, nodding enthusiastically as naughty, wonderful images of Bella on her knees in front of him filled his head.

"Ehn, maybe later," she said flippantly, slipping from under his arm and taking off down the street.

It took Edward a couple of seconds for his brain to pull itself out of the gutter and order his legs to go after her. Grinning widely, he ran after her, reaching her just in time to catch her as she skidded to a stop in front of Wong's and nearly wiped out on the slick sidewalk.

"You're a danger to yourself and others," he laughed as he steadied her. "I'm thinking I should carry the food back. With your track record, it would end up scattered all over the street."

Bella quirked an eyebrow at him in warning. "I could just spend the night on the couch at Jazz and Em's, y'know."

"No way," Edward protested quickly. "Tonight's going to be the first night we've had to spend completely alone since…" He paused, not quite sure how to word it, "since we decided to give this a shot, and I plan on making the most of it."

He watched in amusement as her face flushed bright red, and she dropped her gaze. Her reaction would've worried him if he hadn't noticed the small smile curling her full lips. Apparently, she wasn't as opposed to the prospect as she might have him believe.

Not even ten minutes later, they were back at the apartment, two big paper bags of awesome-smelling Chinese food in their arms. No sooner had they shut the door behind them before Emmett and Jasper were taking the smaller bag from Bella and ushering Edward towards the kitchen.

"Go sit and relax with the other ladies," Jasper told her with a charming smile. "Let us take care of everything."

Emmett marched Edward into the kitchen before he had a chance to protest, and Edward quickly found himself cornered by the fridge.

"Dude, what did you _do_?" Emmett demanded.

Edward was bewildered. "Huh?"

"Standing Bella up for prom," Jasper said with a sad shake of his head. "Not cool, man. Not cool at all."

"I know," he groaned, dragging his hand through his hair. "It was a stupid move, and if I could take it back, I would."

"Alice told us Bella cried that night," Jasper confided quietly after a glance at the doorway, ensuring they were still alone, and Edward felt like someone had just reached into his chest and ripped out his heart. He'd made Bella cry? _Bella_? Honestly, he'd never thought of her as a crier. The fact that he'd been the one to drive her to that very nearly killed him. "She doesn't know Alice saw her, so don't you go letting on you know."

Emmett just glared at him, beefy arms folded over his chest. "You don't do shit like that. Especially not to girls like Bella," he stated.

"I know –" Edward tried to interject, but Emmett just kept going.

"She just pretends to be tough. On the inside, she's a big softie. Probably even more than most girls, and that's why she hides it. Don't you ever forget that." Sometimes, Emmett's powers of observation really took Edward by surprise. He'd learned some time ago never to underestimate the guy. "Because if you hurt her again? You'll have to answer to me."

"_Us_," Jasper corrected. "She's a good girl, Edward. A real sweetheart. Do right by her, or you'll never forgive yourself."

Edward looked from one of his friends to the other, and nodded. "I know." It was the right answer - the only answer - to everything they'd said.

Carrying plates, containers of take-out, and a handful of bamboo chopsticks, the boys rejoined the girls in the living room – and stopped dead in the entry way. The three of them were cuddled up together on the sofa like the living embodiment of any red-blooded male's wet dream. The only things that were missing were the bikinis and the kiddie pool full of Jell-O. Or mud.

Even Edward, who only had eyes for Bella, wasn't immune to the fantasy.

"If that's not the hottest fucking thing..," Emmett uttered softly, trailing off, unable to finish the thought.

Bella's head was lying in Alice's lap, Rose's head rested on Bella's hip, Alice's hands were tangled in Bella's hair, Bella's hands in Rosalie's... Sure, it was completely innocent, but, well... just _damn_.

"Lovely ladies," Jasper announced, laying the Texas accent on thick. "I don't suppose y'all'd consider lettin' us join you...?"

"In your sad little dreams, Whitlock," Alice drawled back, imitating his accent with alarming accuracy, causing Rose and Bella to snicker.

"Bring the food over and we'll consider letting you boys watch some more," Roalie teased, earning a soft groan from Emmett. Edward laughed softly and pushed past the other two to deposit his load of food and plates. He couldn't get over how the girls owned Em and Jasper. He caught a smile from Bella, and he instantly felt lighter, and was unable to keep from smiling back.

Right. Bella didn't own him _at all_. Clearly.

After stuffing themselves on ridiculous amounts of Chinese food, they settled in for another movie. _Firestarter_ won the vote, and they all agreed that, even if they had to suffer through some lab-rat moments, it would be incredibly cool to have special powers like being able to control fire.

"It'd be like being one of the X-Men," Emmett said excitedly. "How cool would it be able to fly, or read minds, or shoot lasers out of your eyes."

"Cyclops shoots force blasts, they're not lasers," Edward corrected quietly. About half an hour ago, Bella had fallen asleep on him – literally – and he didn't want to wake her up.

"Same fucking difference," Emmett argued.

"No, it's not," Rosalie joined in. "There's no heat, dumbass, they're concussive force blasts. They don't burn, they blow things up. Havok's powers are heat-based, but not Cyclops'."

Emmett just stared at her for a second, slaw-jawed, and then he grinned. "Damn, that's hot," he proclaimed. "Rosie, baby, I think we need to head to my room for the rest of the night."

"And that would be my cue to leave," Edward announced, shuddering in distaste over the very idea of what would be going on in that room as soon as the door was shut. Looking down at Bella, he wasn't quite sure how to handle her. He could wake her up so she could walk down the hall to his place, or he could let her sleep and just carry her. He wasn't sure how sound a sleeper she was, though. He might end up waking her up anyway.

"Yeah, get her out of here before she starts talking," Alice agreed with a slight grimace.

Ah, so apparently when he'd overheard her talking about penguins and sequins, it hadn't been a one-time occurrence. Interesting. "She does that a lot?"

Yawning hugely, Alice nodded. "Hmm-hmm. Always has. It gets worse when she's got a lot on her mind, or if she's stressed. I had to sleep with ear plugs when we were coming up to finals, and then I had to stay here for the last week, because she just wouldn't shut up."

"Good to know," Edward muttered.

"And in case you're wondering?" Alice continued, giving Edward a smile. "She sleeps like the dead. You totally carry her back to your place, and you won't bother her at all."

It unnerved him when Alice said shit like that, like she knew what he'd been considering. The pixie-girl had an uncanny sixth sense, apparently.

Bella weighed next to nothing in his arms, and she seemed to instinctively snuggle against his chest as he held her. After bidding their friends good night, Edward carried Sleeping Bella down the corridor, struggling only a bit with his keys as he unlocked the door.

Bypassing the living room, he went directly to his bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. For all intents and purposes, she seemed fast asleep. He slipped off her shoes and placed them at the foot of the bed. There was a very obvious question he needed to ponder, with a not-so-obvious answer: should he undress her so she was more comfortable?

God knew Edward wouldn't have been too happy about sleeping in his jeans. As much as he loved them, they were still jeans, and not particularly comfortable to spend the night in. She'd slept in just a t-shirt and panties when she'd stayed there last time, so he figured it was probably safe to assume she'd want to do that again.

He hoped.

Trying to stay as detached as possible, Edward unfastened the button and pulled down the zipper before gently tugging the jeans over her hips. Her panties were lime green cotton, and had a lacy top edge that ran several inches below her navel.

She was going to kill him.

Pants successfully removed, he took a moment to fold them neatly before placing them on top of his dresser. While his back was turned, Bella had rolled over, facing the center of the bed. Her ass in those panties…

It was going to be a long, long night. Maybe he should have a cold shower before trying to get to sleep.

After drawing the blankets up over her, Edward left her alone so he could go through his bedtime routine. He chose to forego the shower and hoped he wouldn't regret it later.

Back in his bedroom, he noted that Bella hadn't moved, and seemed to be sleeping quite peacefully. Flipping off the overhead light, he crossed the room and climbed into bed beside her. He lay on his side, facing her, simply watching her in the pale light that streamed in through his curtains. Her lips twitched slightly and parted, letting out a wordless sigh.

Unable to resist, Edward lifted his hand and stroked his fingers gently along her cheek, smiling to himself as he did it. It amazed him that he could do this, whether she was awake or asleep. He had the right to touch her as tenderly as he wished.

"Heah..," she muttered, more a breath than a true word. He stilled and waited expectantly, but was met with silence. Resuming his gentle caress of her cheek, he grinned as her lips began to move again. "Hea… head… Hhh-edward…"

His heart surged, both excited and fearful that she was apparently dreaming of him. What had Alice said? That Bella talked in her sleep the most when she was preoccupied with something or stressed. He wanted to believe that it was the former, in this case.

Sensing a connection between his touch and her sleep-talking, he continued trailing the backs of his fingers up and down her downy cheek, taking in the barely-noticeable fluttering of her lashes and the lazy movement of her lips as she struggled in her sleep to form words.

"Edwar..," she trailed off again, and a pucker appeared between her brows. Edward immediately moved to stroke it, to ease it. He didn't like seeing her worried, especially not while asleep. The fingers on the hand curled under her chin twitched, clenching and unclenching from a loose fist.

"I'm here, Bella," he assured her quietly, smiling gently at the sleeping girl he adored beyond reason.

"Don… don't… don't go… plea…eeze..." His hand froze, and he felt his chest tighten, squeezing the air from his lungs. What…? "Edward," she said again, the words suddenly much clearer, if slightly disjointed, "where… where are you? Where… no… Please… don't leave… don't… go…"

In that moment, Edward realized just how deeply he'd actually hurt Bella with his selfish actions, both what he'd done to her at her prom and the damage he'd caused by severing all ties with her when he'd left for school. He'd managed to talk himself into believing that it had all been for the best, that he was protecting himself _and_ Bella. But hearing the words pushed forward by her subconscious, he realized he'd done far more harm than he'd ever thought.

Gathering her to him, he cradled her head on his shoulder, tucking it snugly under his chin, and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm right here, Bella," Edward repeated, stroking her hair soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here."

The sound of his voice seemed to calm her, and he continued speaking softly into her ear, promising he would stay, swearing he would never leave her again. After a few minutes, it seemed the dream passed, and her body relaxed fully with a soft, contented hum from her lips. He hadn't even realized she'd been tense until she went completely limp in his arms.

Staring up at the ceiling, he watched the patterns created by the headlights of passing cars as they flashed through the slight gap between the curtains. Bella's breathing was slow and steady, and it seemed she was done talking for the time being. That was a relief. He didn't know how much more he could stand if she kept on begging him not to go in her dreams.

Sleep would be a ways off for Edward. He had too much going through his head, too many regrets, too many 'what ifs'. He imagined what could have been, had he not been such a coward, and the end result was always a smiling, happy Bella.

He needed for that to happen. That image needed to become a reality. He'd make her happy, make up for every mistake he'd made with her. He would. If it took Edward the rest of his life, he'd make Bella believe in him.

* * *

_**Okay, so while reads and reviews dropped with the last chapter over on Twilighted, they've climbed dramatically over here for the past three chapters. So welcome to all the new readers, and thank you for giving my story a chance! :)**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Even though she'd only experienced it three times, waking up next to Edward was quickly becoming one of Bella's very favorite things.

He was a snuggler in general, but especially in bed, which made her sickeningly happy. She may not be the most demonstrative person in terms of showing affection physically, feeling more than a little awkward hugging most of her friends other than Alice, but with Edward, she was most definitely a cuddler. And the amazing thing was, it had felt completely easy and natural, right from the start.

She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to cope when she had to go back to sleeping in her dorm room again.

Alone. Without his arms wrapped around her in one way, shape, or form, as she fell asleep and again when she woke.

Well, that was still the better part of a week away, so there was no point worrying about it just yet.

Having woken up before Edward, Bella spent several long minutes just watching him sleep. His face was so peaceful, unlined and relaxed. Every so often, his eyelids would flutter and she would wait for him to awaken, but he never did.

After spending far too long being creepy and watching him as he slept, she carefully extricated herself from his arms... and realized that at some point the night before, she'd been divested of her jeans.

It only took Bella two scans of the room before she spotted them, neatly folded on top of her overnight bag. She felt vaguely embarrassed over the thought that Edward had more or less undressed her, but then she realized she was being silly. The one other time she'd stayed at his place, she'd also slept in just panties and a T-shirt, so it wasn't like he hadn't seen the same thing before.

Snagging her bag, she closed herself into the bathroom and took a quick shower. They'd decided the day before that no street clothes would be allowed until the BSG marathon was over - pajamas only. So she dressed in the new pair of flannel jammie pants and button-front shirt her mom had sent her for Christmas and pulled on a pair of matching thick chenille socks, fluffed her wet hair as best she could, and decided it was just going to have to do.

Bella checked on Edward as she returned her bag to his room and found him still asleep. Sprawled on his back, one arm above his head and the other flung out across the spot she'd been occupying earlier, he was snoring very, very softly. It was rather adorable, actually.

Shutting the door behind her, Bella padded into the kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge to see what she could whip up for their breakfast. There weren't a lot of options, but she could definitely work with the eggs and cheese she found. A can of sliced mushrooms made things perfect.

Fifteen minutes later, she was sliding the second of two omelets onto a plate when she sensed she wasn't alone. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted Edward standing in the doorway, yawning cutely and running his hand through his wild hair.

"Morning," Edward murmured, voice husky with sleep.

"Morning," Bella replied with a smile. Normally she wasn't this much of a morning person, but she'd woken well-rested and in a far superior mood than she usually did, so Edward was reaping the benefits.

"You have penguins on your pants," he observed groggily, clearly amused for some unknown reason, which caused Bella to chuff out a laugh.

"Um, yeah. They were a present from my mom."

With a silly little smile on his face, he shook his head, but offered no further explanation for his apparent interest in her scarf- and mitten-wearing penguins on her pajama pants, and she turned her attention back to their breakfast. She heard him as he shuffled into the kitchen, so there was no real surprise when he wrapped his arms around her from behind, then rested his stubbly chin on her shoulder, cheek brushing lightly against hers. Leaning to the side slightly so she could see him better, she smiled. His jaw boasted at least a day's worth of stubble, his eyes were slightly hooded and sleepy-looking, and his signature sex hair was a riotous mess, even more so than usual. But somehow, he made it work and came out looking even sexier than usual.

Which was saying a lot.

He seemed to be staring intently at the plates of food, and Bella's brow furrowed. "You don't like omelets?"

Edward shook his head and tightened his arms around her. "No, I love omelets. I just can't believe you made breakfast. You didn't have to, y'know."

"I know," she assured him. Shrugging, she motioned to his fridge. "I was hungry, and you don't have a lot of options in that thing."

"I'll go out for groceries later." Dipping his head down, he brushed a sweet kiss against her lips. He smelled and tasted like mint, obviously having taken a side-trip to brush his teeth before joining her. "Careful, Swan," he said against her lips. "Keep spoiling me like this, and I won't let you leave at the end of the week."

Bella kissed him soundly, then smirked. "Is that a promise or a threat?" She tried to slip from his embrace, with minimal success. "C'mon, Cullen, our food's getting cold."

It looked, for a moment, like Edward was going to argue. Instead, he dropped his arms with a grin, greedily snatched a plate from the counter, grabbed a fork, and dug in. The first forkful was barely in his mouth when his eyes closed, and a blissful smile appeared on his face. "Ohmmmmmm," he moaned, and the sound caused Bella's stomach to flip-flop as she remembered him making a similar sound during their far-too-brief encounter on the hotel couch on New Year's Eve.

She picked up her own plate, hopped up on the counter, and began eating in an attempt to distract herself from the noises he was making. They were sending her mind straight for the gutter.

"Bella, this is to _die_ for."

"Glad you approve," she replied after swallowing the bite she'd been chewing. "Figured it was the least I could do, since you're letting me invade your place for the week."

Edward cocked his head very slightly to the side. "You're not invading," he assured her. "I like having you here. Awesome company, great food, and beautiful scenery." His eyes roamed her form liberally, and Bella felt her cheeks erupt in a blush. "Why would I mind?"

She shrugged, pointedly ignoring his attempts at flattery. "Most guys wouldn't appreciate having their bachelor pad taken over by a girl."

"I'm not most guys," he pointed out needlessly.

"No shit," she scoffed, then smirked at him. "I wouldn't be here if you were."

Flashing her that lopsided smile she adored, he went back to eating.

"So, are we gonna start the marathon today?" Bella asked when she was finished. Collecting her empty plate, she set it and the cutlery in the sink to soak off the cheesy-eggy goodness.

"Absolutely," Edward agreed. "Start right from the beginning with the mini series, or just go right into season one?"

"Mini series," she decided after a moment. "I haven't seen it in ages."

Edward finished his omelet and set his plate in to soak with Bella's. "Since you're already clean," he began, fingering a still-damp lock of her hair, "I'm gonna go grab a quick shower. Don't want to offend you with my day-old manly-man scent."

"Manly-man?" Bella repeated with a snort, and Edward narrowed his eyes at her. "By all means, go," she finished with a laugh, holding up her hands in surrender.

With a playful tug on her hair, he grinned and headed for the bathroom. "Too bad you had yours earlier," he called back. "I would've been happy to share."

"Keep dreaming, Cullen!"

She could hear his laughter as she shut the bathroom door, and Bella leaned back against the counter, her breath leaving her in a whoosh. How was she going to survive the coming week? He had her wanting to move way faster than she knew she'd be comfortable with, and she didn't want to regret anything from here on in when it came to her relationship with Edward.

And getting naked too soon would definitely be something she'd regret.

No, she wasn't a virgin, and she knew damn well Edward wasn't. But it had been years since Bella had last done the horizontal Mambo, and even then she'd only done it a handful of times.

In her nineteen years, Bella had only ever slept with one person, her ex-boyfriend back in Phoenix. Noah had been part of the popular crowd, a jock, and one of the boys every girl wanted – sort of like her school's version of an Edward Cullen. When he asked her out, Bella had been shocked and flattered, and, much to her surprise, they actually wound up dating for more than six months. He'd pressured her about sex without _actually_ pressuring her, in that sneaky way she was convinced all males were taught as soon as they hit puberty. Finally, she gave in, and not too long after that, Noah dumped her for a more popular girl.

Needless to say, he'd been one of the reasons she'd jumped at the chance to move to Forks.

Over the past few years, Bella had indulged in a couple of PG-rated, alcohol-fueled make-out sessions with random boys, but she never let it get any further than that. So the prospect of sleeping with Edward was… well, it was incredibly exciting, but also more than a little terrifying.

And not just because she was essentially a born-again virgin.

If Edward pulled a Noah? Not that she thought he would, but she hadn't expected it from Noah, either, so if he did? Bella didn't know that she'd ever be able to completely get over that.

Because despite the crappy things Edward had done in the past that had hurt her – namely prom and not keeping in touch when he'd toddled off to college, both events which she _knew_ he regretted to this day – Bella trusted him. Mostly. Because for as long as they'd been friends, Edward had been sweet to her in ways Noah most certainly never had.

**---**

_Flashback_

_If the time-turners J.K. Rowling taunted people with in her books actually existed, Bella would have gladly given her right arm for one so she could go back and have a do-over of the last two weeks. It had been one nightmare after another, none of which she could erase from memory._

_Or from anyone else's, unfortunately._

_It had started with prom. Against her better judgment, she'd allowed Alice to bully her into asking Edward to go as her date. Far more excited than she'd ever let on, Bella had even gone dress shopping and had been subjected to an afternoon of 'beautifying' at the spa the afternoon of the dance. Really, she should've known it was too good to be true._

_Edward hadn't shown up._

_For two hours, Bella had waited. Alice, being the most amazing best friend ever, had stayed with her, insisting Tyler go off to socialize with some of the other juniors. The entire time, she'd suffered the scathing, mocking glances from Lauren and Jessica. Thank god Bella had been smart enough not to tell any of them who her date was supposed to be. Having everyone and their dog know she'd been stood up was one thing. Having everyone know she'd been stood up by Edward Cullen was quite another._

_At first, she'd allowed herself to believe that he was just late. Maybe he'd had car trouble. Maybe… he'd been abducted by aliens. But then she resigned herself to the fact that he wasn't coming. And that realization had felt like a ten-ton weight had been dropped on her chest. The hurt and humiliation she felt had been overwhelming, and when she knew there was no way she could keep the tears at bay any longer, she'd stepped outside to get some air. _

_There was no way in hell Bella was going to give the nasty, skanky bitches in there the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She wouldn't even let Alice see her that upset._

_But Alice was an observant little thing, and not ten minutes after Bella had gone outside Alice was at her side, clutching her head dramatically. She'd complained to Tyler that she suddenly had a migraine, and needed to leave; Bella would drive to make sure she got home okay._

_Not that Bella believed anyone bought Alice's excuse. But it was the thought that counted._

_Alone at home, she'd checked messages on the house phone. And sure enough, there was one from Edward. Apparently, something had come up, some kind of emergency._

_Right._

_She honestly hoped he didn't think she was stupid enough to believe that, especially with the way he rambled and stammered through the message. But he had, in fact, left it much earlier in the day. It wasn't his fault she wasn't around to hear it._

_Bella left a message on Alice's cell to fill her in, lest the pixie decide it was open Cullen season and go after Edward with a shotgun. She'd left out the details, simply saying that he'd left a message and there'd been a family emergency. Alice had still been disgruntled, but she was no longer homicidal._

_School had been torture that Monday, as it seemed everyone and their brother had heard about how poor Bella Swan had been stood up by her prom date. She didn't know which was worse – the sympathetic looks or the mocking ones. _

_The anticipation of seeing Edward at work the following Tuesday had been absolute hell. All day, Bella had suffered with a knot the size of a cantaloupe sitting somewhere between her stomach and her throat. Part of her hoped he'd call in sick for his shift, but as she'd pulled into the parking lot of Java Jive, she knew she was out of luck._

_He'd apologized. He'd hugged her. He'd seemed genuinely torn up for what he'd done, and, as she was wont to do with Edward, she forgave him. And when he hugged her, she'd hugged him back, even though she still felt sick over it all, and her chest still ached._

_The following weekend, Bella had tripped while exploring the tide pools down at First Beach, and had sprained her ankle. Badly._

_Her right one. _

_Which meant, of course, no driving until she had the full range of motion back with minimal pain. Charlie had been good enough to drive her to work that Monday (because no, she wasn't going to take the night off), and Edward's eyes had nearly popped out of his head when he spotted her hobbling through the front door on her crutches, her dad behind trying to hold the door open for her._

"_God, Bella, what happened?" Edward demanded as he hurried towards her. To her great mortification, it looked like he was going to scoop her up bridal-style and carry her through the store._

"_I'm fine," she practically growled, causing Charlie to sigh behind her. _

"_It's sprained," the Chief elaborated. "She needs to stay off her feet, keep that leg elevated, and not move it."_

_Bella shot her father a withering look. "Traitor."_

"_You should be at home resting," Edward began, but shut up at the look on her face._

"_She wouldn't listen to me when I told her the same thing," Charlie admitted with a sigh._

"_Of course she wouldn't," Edward agreed with a shake of his head. " I'll pull over a stool for you, and you can sit for your shift. Just tell me what you need, and I'll get it. Okay?"_

_Rolling her eyes tiredly, Bella finally nodded. "Fine."_

"_I'll be back by ten, Bells," Charlie said before turning for the door._

"_I can drive her home," Edward blurted out. Bella didn't look at him, but Charlie did._

"_You wouldn't mind?"_

"_Not at all. No point in having you come down here in the middle of your shift."_

_Bella's eyes narrowed slightly, and Edward appeared to be ignoring her._

"_Well, that'd be great, Edward," Charlie agreed with the closest he ever got to a grin. "Assuming Bells has no problem. I appreciate it."_

"_My pleasure, sir," Edward replied, and Bella rolled her eyes._

"_Hello? I'm right here, y'know," she grumbled._

"_See you when I get home, Bells," Charlie said as he stepped outside, letting the door shut behind him. Edward was grinning smugly down at Bella, and she shook her head._

"_Shut up," she muttered under her breath, causing Edward to laugh. She crutched her way to the backside of the counter, knowing that with every hop/step, it was killing Edward not to just pick her up and carry her._

_But no way in hell was she going to let him do that._

_Their shift passed quickly, thank god, and before she knew it, Edward was pulling into her driveway._

"_Thanks, Edward," she told him sincerely. "I really do appreciate the ride."_

"_No problem," he replied with a crooked smile. _

_She reached for the handle, and Edward was out his door, around the car and opening hers in a flash. He retrieved her crutches from the back seat, and then held out his arm for her to hold onto as she got out. He took her backpack from her, and watched as she arranged the crutches the way she wanted them. It was obvious he was forcing himself not to fuss anymore than he already was._

_Bumping the door shut with her butt, Bella started forward, Edward right at her side, his hand resting lightly on her back to steady her._

"_Y'know, Cullen, if you keep this up, I might start thinking I'm special or something," she joked, glancing at him from the corner of her eye._

"_You __**are**__ special," he replied softly. So softly, in fact, she wasn't entirely sure she was supposed to hear it. So she pretended like she hadn't._

_At the stairs leading up to the porch, she finally gave in to the earnest expression on Edward's face and let him lift her up the few small steps. He even fished her keys out of the front pocket of her bag, unlocked the front door for her, and escorted her inside._

"_Do you want me to come in and help you upstairs?"_

_Bella rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. He was being awfully sweet… in a slightly annoying way. "I'm fine," she assured him for the umpteenth time that night. "I promise. I've been on crutches so many times it's not even funny. I'm a fucking expert with these things, Cullen." She shifted her weight onto one crutch and picked up the other to poke him in the leg. "Go home. I'll be fine. And if for any reason I'm not, my dad'll be home in a few hours. I'll survive."_

"_But –" His frustration was obvious as he raked his hand through his hair, and Bella couldn't keep from laughing._

"_But nothing," she insisted, smiling to soften the words. She really did appreciate his help – and his concern – but enough was enough. "Go home. I'll see you Thursday."_

_With obvious reluctance, Edward shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped back over the threshold._

"_See you Thursday," he agreed glumly._

_Bella's stomach twisted. "Hey, Edward?" He turned, eyebrows arching in question. "Thanks for everything tonight. Really."_

_The smile that lit up his face starred in her dreams that night. _

**---**

After his shower, Edward had decided to run out to re-stock his kitchen before they started in on Battlestar Galactica and got so immersed in it that they wouldn't want any kind of lengthy interruption.

Because they were both dorks, and knew damn well that was exactly what was going to happen.

Despite her assurances that she'd be fine with whatever he wanted to get, he had insisted that she put together her own wish list... and then he'd had the nerve to refuse the grocery money she offered him. So since he was being a stubborn ass, she added several items to the list. If he wasn't going to let her pay her own share, she was going to make sure she cooked him some damn good meals. His poor unloved and unused oven wouldn't know what hit it.

The fastest way to a man's heart and all that.

Bella was just putting the washed breakfast dishes in the rack to dry when there was an

obnoxious pounding on the front door. She figured it was probably one or more of the four fools down the hall, and sure enough, the hollering began.

"Bellll-la! Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella!" Alice. Of course.

"Swan! Get your ass out of the bed in den of debauchery and answer the damn door!" And Rose.

Shocking, truly.

"And put on some clothes! I see enough of your naked bod in our room, I don't need to see it now, too." Alice again.

With a grand sigh, Bella opened the door, eyeballing her so-called friends, who were both sporting wickedly evil grins. "You bellowed?"

Their expressions fell in unison as they took in her appearance.

"You don't look like you've been ravaged," Alice observed with a pout. "You're wearing... _flannel_."

"They're called pajamas, Alice," Bella corrected in a tone with which one would more likely address a toddler than a college student. "This may come as a shock to you, but they _do_ make them in more than just satin and lace." Alice simply stuck out her tongue in reply.

"Where's your boy toy?" Rosalie asked, peering over Bella's head and into the apartment.

"Groceries," Bella replied simply. It was only then she noticed the ornate take-out boxes in their hands. "Ooooh, leftovers?"

"Yup!" Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum pushed past her and into the apartment, leaving Bella looking after them. Shaking her head, she shut the door and followed them into the kitchen.

"We figured you guys might need to keep your energy up," Rose said casually, giving Bella a thorough once-over as she set the containers on the counter. "But now I'm thinking you haven't actually been doing anything that would require energy-building."

Bella blushed and folded her arms over her chest in defiance.

"Nope," Alice confirmed after studying Bella for a long moment. "That is not a post-coitus face. I'm thinking they haven't even been naked in the same room yet."

"Alice!"

"Oh, _what_?" Rosalie challenged. "You two are crazy about each other. There's stupid chemistry between you. Get naked and fuck that boy senseless, for godsake."

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Bella grumbled as she looked skyward in exasperation.

"Fine," Alice chirped. "Rose, you leave. I'll stay and talk to Bella."

"I meant I'm not having this conversation with _either_ of you," Bella corrected. "My sex life is none of your business, thank you very much, and I'm not going to have sex just because you two whores think it's a good idea."

She meant it with love, she really did. Thankfully, they knew that.

"No, you're supposed to have sex because it's _fun_," Rose quipped.

"And feels _really_ good," Alice added.

Bella simply sighed and waited for them to talk themselves out. In her mind, she was plugging her ears and singing 'La-la-la-la-la! I can't hear you!' And, amazingly enough, it was pretty effective at drowning them out. She was only brought back to the conversation when someone – Rosalie, it turned out – cuffed her upside the back of her head.

"The fuck, Rose?"

"Are you even listening to us?" Alice demanded, her cute little face squinched up in annoyance.

"Yes," Bella lied.

"Bullshit," Rosalie challenged. "But whatever. If you're stupid enough to let this opportunity slip through your semi-virginal little fingers, it's your problem, not ours."

Bella was nodding in agreement, but Alice clearly disagreed. "But it's _us_ she'll whine at if that happens."

She had to be joking. "Alice, when have I _ever_ whined at you about _anything_, let alone a guy?"

"Not the point," Alice said with a shake of her head. "There's a first time for everything, and I don't want to your relationship with Edward to end up being the catalyst for the first 'boys suck' drunk-fest we have together."

Sighing in frustration, Bella scrubbed a hand over her face. There was no winning this argument, apparently. However, the sound of the front door opening was the equivalent of a choir of angels suddenly singing in her savior.

Edward's voice sounded as the door clicked shut. "Bella?"

"Kitchen," she called back, giving the girls a warning glare. "Behave."

Seconds later, he appeared around the corner, several grocery bags in hand. He smiled at unexpected visitors. "Ladies. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Bella snorted, and he cast her an amused look as he set the bags on the floor near the fridge.

"Just bringing by some of last night's leftovers," Alice replied, the sweetest and most innocent-looking smile on her face.

"Excellent," he replied enthusiastically. Stepping through the group, he began to open containers, peeking under the lids to see what, exactly, they'd brought. He nodded in approval and stepped out of the way again. "Nice. Thank Jazz and Em for this."

"You think either of those Neanderthals thought of it?" Rosalie scoffed. "It was all Alice and me, asshole, so you owe _us_, not them."

Edward simply smiled, completely unfazed by Rose. "Duly noted." He turned to Bella, arching an eyebrow in question. "I'm gonna go change before putting the groceries away, okay?" Clearly he wasn't oblivious to the strange atmosphere in the kitchen, and was being sweet enough to make sure she was okay if he left her alone with the Tinkerbell and Barbarella.

What was she going to do, tell him 'no'? So, of course, Bella nodded and shooed him out of the kitchen.

"See you later, Edward," Alice called after him.

"Oh, good. Does that mean you're leaving now?" Bella asked her with exaggerated excitement.

"Not nice, Bella," Alice sniffled, pretending to be offended. "See if I'm here for you the next time you need me."

"You know you love me, Al," Bella taunted, ushering the girls towards the door.

"Sad, but true," the pixie girl conceded, then threw her arms around Bella and squeezed tightly. "I do love you, sweetie, and I want you and Edward to be every bit as happy as Jazz and I are. That's all."

"I know," Bella admitted, hugging her friend back. "But give us time. We've just started this… whatever it is."

"It's called a relationship," Rosalie offered, sarcasm dripping from the sweetly-delivered words.

"We haven't discussed labels yet," Bella muttered as she opened the door, hoping the girls would get the hint. Instead, Alice and Rose gave her an incredulous look.

"You haven't discussed it yet?" Alice repeated, the words clearly not computing.

"No."

"Well, that would be step one," Rose said decisively. "Do it today. Hammer that out, and everything else should fall into place."

"We'll see," Bella hedged, forcing them through the door and into the hall.

"Tell your boyfriend everyone down the hall says 'hi'," Rose called loudly before Bella had a chance to close the door. The smirk on the blond bombshell's face made Bella growl.

"Bitch."

"And damn proud," came the somewhat muted response from the other side of the door.

Turning around with the intent of heading straight for the kitchen to sort through the leftovers and groceries, Bella spotted Edward leaning in the doorway leading from the bedroom to the living room. He looked ridiculously sexy in his plaid flannel pajama pants and long-sleeved Henley shirt. She thought her face was going to burst into flames she was blushing so hotly. Pushing off the wall, he flashed that crooked smile she loved so much and strolled casually towards her. "Boyfriend, huh?"

Though she hadn't thought it possible, Bella's face flushed hotter and she dropped her gaze. "That was just Rose being Rose, don't worry –"

By that time, he was right in front of her, and she stared down at his sock-clad feet. Shaking his head, he brushed his fingers down her cheek. "I like it," he admitted, and suddenly she felt… lighter.

"You do?" Bella asked, arching an eyebrow at him. Despite everything that had transpired over the last week or so, she was pre-programmed to assume nothing. To do otherwise only led to disappointment in the long run.

"Uh-huh. Very much," he confirmed. "But the question is, do _you_ like it?"

Adopting a thoughtful expression, she considered the question for a few seconds before shrugging. "Ehn," she responded non-committally, then bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking – which became especially difficult when Edward's eyes narrowed dangerously. Moving quickly, she slipped past him and just barely dodged the arm that snaked out to stop her.

Bella bit her lip, still trying to keep from breaking into a grin, and backed away as Edward stalked towards her. His movements were predatory, and she couldn't help the way her pulse suddenly leapt and started racing. "Ehn?" He repeated it as a question. "_Ehn_? I ask you what you think about me being your boyfriend and all you say is '_ehn_'?"

She wondered if he had any idea just how hot he was right then.

"I'm sorry, would 'meh' have been clearer?" Bella quipped, desperately trying to ignore the way he was looking at her.

He backed her up against the rear of the sofa, stepping right into her personal space and peering down at her. From the look in his eyes, she knew she'd opened herself up for a world of trouble.

"Well, think about it, Cullen," Bella blurted out, trying to bide some time so she could collect her thoughts. "If you were my boyfriend, that would mean you're off the market. Are you ready for that? There are a lot of girls out there, y'know…"

"Bella…" His voice was low and rough and sent a shiver through her. "As far as I'm concerned, there are _no_ other girls out there. There's only you." Bella swallowed hard and fought to hold his intense gaze. "You're the only girl I want to make out with on skating ponds," he told her before brushing his lips across hers. "The only girl I want to kiss under holly masquerading as mistletoe, or at midnight on New Year's Eve. The only girl who drives me absolutely crazy, in every way." He kissed her again, lingering a bit longer this time. "And definitely the _only_ girl I want to call my girlfriend. The only girl I _want_, period."

Edward kissed her again, this time opening his lips and letting his tongue dance along the seam of Bella's mouth. With a soft moan, she opened to him, and she was lost. Before she had a chance to truly immerse herself in the kiss, he pulled away and she blinked at him in confusion. He grinned. "So, Bella, what do you think?"

Wait, what were they talking about again?

Her first instinct was, of course, to just smile and nod in acquiescence to anything that came out of his luscious and talented mouth, as long he continued what he'd been doing. But then her brain kicked back in, and she realized what he'd tried to do.

_Naughty, naughty, tricksy Edward… trying to dazzle my poor little brain through your kisses. Kissing voo-doo, that's what it is. But I __**will**__ resist. I __**won't**__ fall victim. I __**will**__ prevail!_

_Vive la Résistance!_

"I think," Bella mused, standing on her toes and brushing the tip of her nose along the underside of his jaw; he'd clearly shaved at some point since that morning, and his skin was incredibly smooth, "that I'll consider it."

Oh, who was she kidding? Edward Cullen wanted to be her boyfriend, and she was going to say '_no_'? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Apparently, Edward was riding a similar train of thought, because his grip on her only tightened. "_Consider_ it now," he ordered in a gravelly voice. He turned the tables on her and began trailing feather-light kisses down the column of her neck. Unable to resist, her head lolled backwards, giving him full access as she sucked in a shaky breath. Gentle teeth scraped over her skin, and settled where her shoulder and neck met. He bit her lightly, causing Bella to shudder.

_Be strong! Don't let him manipulate you like this! Resist, remember? Resist! Vive la Résistance!_

_Oh, but surrendering would feel __**so**__ much better…_

White flags were waving madly in her mind's eye. "Okay," she breathed, her hand flying to his hair and urging him to stay right where he was.

"Okay _what_?" His voice was muffled against her as he kissed and nipped at her skin.

"Ung..." Bella's eyes drifted shut. "Okay... You can be my boyfriend."

She was rather proud of herself for being able to get that out, all things considered.

"And you'll be my girlfriend," Edward stated, his hands now beginning to stroke up and down her back.

"Hmm-hmmm," she agreed, not currently possessing enough brain-power to form actual words. When Edward chuckled against her neck, her entire body seemed to spark, and all she could do was try to get closer to him.

His hands continued moving in small circles on her back, but soon they were sweeping from neck to ass and back again, pressing her against him.

"Edward," she breathed, clutching at his hair and willing his lips to lift to hers.

"Hmmm," was his only verbal response as his hands slid under the hem of her shirt and over the hot, bare skin of her lower back before lowering his lips to hers again.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she returned the fierce kiss, fingers clutching at his hair, trying to pull him closer. Without breaking the kiss, he latched one arm tightly around her waist and braced the other hand against the back of the couch. In one fluid move, he turned them, and before Bella knew what was happening, Edward had flipped them over the back of the sofa so that they were lying on the couch cushions.

"Impressive," she breathed out with a small laugh, quite thoroughly enjoying her place on top of him.

"You think that's impressive? You ain't seen nothing' yet," he promised, plunging both hands into her hair and claiming her lips once again.

There was nothing slow or sweet about this kiss. It was raw and needy. It was licking and nipping and sucking, sighing and gasping and moaning. Lips devoured, teeth clashed and tongues warred. Hands roamed and grasped and clutched wherever they could find purchase, making every attempt to draw the other closer.

A frustrated growl ripped from Edward's throat, and again they were moving. Bella's eyes shot open in time to feel her back hit the couch as Edward settled himself on top of her before crushing her lips once again. Moaning at the feel of his solid weight pressing down on her, she wanted him even closer. Shifting slightly, she bent the knee of the leg pressing against the back of the sofa, sliding it up so that her foot rested flat on the seat. Immediately Edward took advantage, slipping further down just slightly and letting his lower body fall into the natural cradle of her pelvis and thighs.

"Fuuuuck," he breathed out harshly, hips flexing as he pressed against her, his hardness meeting her softness. Bella whimpered and arched up slightly to meet him, gasping as she felt him grow even harder against her.

Tearing his lips away from hers, Edward trailed hot, wet kisses down her neck, pausing to swirl his tongue around the hollow at the base of her throat, then nibbled his way along her collar bone. Fingers of one hand clutching at his hair, the others slid up under the hem of his shirt, and she dragged her nails down his back. He rewarded her with a hiss and another thrust of his hips as he nipped at her shoulder.

Curious fingers tugged at the neck of her top, trying to push it aside to reveal more skin, but he quickly grew frustrated, his hand lowering to the tiny button below the V of the collar. When she didn't protest, Edward popped the button and kissed the patch of newly-revealed skin. Bella bit her lower lip and threw her head back, swallowing a moan.

Jesus, what this man did to her…

His nose trailed down her sternum and nuzzled against the barrier presented by the next button. Again receiving no indication he should stop, that button was also released. His hot breath puffed against the sensitive skin between her breasts, causing a shudder to race through her.

Apparently tired of waiting for permission each time, he quickly finished unfastening the rest of them. Edward parted the fabric over her stomach and leaned down, dragging his nose over her belly and inhaled deeply as she quivered beneath him. All she could do was whimper and arch towards him in offering – which he accepted with a kiss. Peppering her stomach with wet kisses, he drew back the sides of her top and pushed them aside.

Bella could feel her blush start, blooming first in her cheeks and then spreading down her neck and finally to her now mostly-bared chest. Only a thin cotton and lace bra concealed her from his eyes, and she knew it wasn't doing much good. She could feel her nipples straining against the lace, vying for his attention.

They didn't have to wait long. With a hungry groan, Edward kissed the top of one breast, then the other, before lowering his lips to their peaks. His tongue darted out and flicked one, causing her to suck in a sharp breath. Taking that as encouragement, he drew it into his mouth, sucking it and the lace and causing Bella's hips to buck against his.

"Oh god," she whispered, losing herself in the sensations and he bit down on her nipple lightly as he ground his hips against hers. She'd never thought of her breasts as being particularly sensitive, but now she knew better. The sparks spread from her chest, outward and down, joining mid-way with the ones shooting up from between her legs. His hair tickled where it brushed against her chest, which only heightened every sensation.

Bella made a pitiful sound of protest as he lifted his mouth from her, but was quickly appeased when he simply flicked the front clasp of her bra and pushed the cups aside. Then he was on her again, lips and tongue caressing the one, his hand squeezing and tugging the other so it didn't feel ignored.

A little voice in the back of Bella's mind was warning that things were moving too quickly, that if things kept going, they'd be naked and fucking right there on the couch in a matter of minutes.

Right about then, she really couldn't see the problem with that scenario. Sounded damn good to her, in fact.

Edward switched it up, taking the other nipple gently between his teeth and wrapping his hand around the opposite breast so that his free hand was no longer the one pinned between them and the back of the sofa. Shifting his weight slightly, he rubbed against a particular sensitive spot between her legs, her gasp turning into a moan as she felt his hand trailing down her ribcage to her waist, then down over her hip to her thigh.

In an unexpected moment of clarity, she realized his destination and reached down blindly to stop him just as his hand veered towards her groin. He looked up, a question obvious in his lust-darkened gaze. Not wanting to ruin the moment, Bella simply urged him back up her body and attacked his mouth, which, if the sound he made was any indication, he didn't mind at all.

Hitching her leg up more, she rocked her hips and pressed herself against him, enjoying his heat and hardness through their thin layers of clothes. His response was a counter thrust just as his tongue plunged into her mouth. The symbolism wasn't lost on her.

Again, she arched up to meet him, and cried out softly as he circled his hips between hers while pressing against her. Bella felt hot and cold flash quickly through her body, and she bent the other leg, bringing it up towards Edward's waist. Without breaking the kiss, he reached down and hooked his hand behind her knee, pressing it up and opening her to him further as he ground into her.

The pressure was building within her, and every thrust, every swivel of his hips only increased it until she was making soft keening noises every time they met. They were breathing raggedly, rapidly, and the rocking and thrusting and grinding increased in speed, driving them both into a frenzy. She was close, so close, and all she wanted was for Edward to send her plummeting over the edge.

His hips slammed against hers and he once again swiveled against her, pressing harder and harder with every pass, and she rested one hand on his ass, urging him on. Bella knew she was whimpering continuously now, with every gasping breath as she sought her release, and she couldn't care less. It just felt so good, and _that_'s all she cared about.

Dragging her short nails along his scalp, she drew a growl from Edward. His movements grew more erratic, more desperate, his fingers digging into the back of the thigh he still gripped, and then, with a particularly forceful thrust, she was falling. Every muscle in her body contracted, forcing her back to arch up of the couch as she cried into his mouth. Tearing his mouth from hers, he buried his face in her neck and kept his hips moving, prolonging the charges racing through her body. Seconds later, his body tensed as he bit down on her shoulder and slammed against her with a loud, drawn-out groan.

Bella held him as he continued grinding against her, slowing and finally ceasing as he collapsed on top of her. For several long moments, they lay together, silent except for their labored breathing as they came down from their shared high. Edward gently kissed the spot he'd bitten, and Bella wondered idly whether he'd left a mark. His lips moved along her shoulder to her neck, kissing his way up her jaw until he reached her mouth. Their lips met gently, barely moving as they kissed tenderly.

Edward pulled back slightly and Bella's eyes fluttered open. She'd destroyed his hair, but she wasn't surprised; it was sticking up in every direction. Now it could be quite accurately called sex hair.

Even if they hadn't actually had sex.

What did surprise her was the absolutely adoring smile on his gorgeous face as he looked at her.

"That was..," he trailed off and shook his head in bemusement. Bella laughed and ran her fingers through his hair, trying to tame it.

"Hot," she offered with a crooked smile.

"Hot works," he agreed with a chuckle. "But I was going to say amazing. Or fantastic. Or…"

"How 'bout all of the above?"

Smiling happily, he kissed her. "We have a winner." Very reluctantly, Bella released him as he moved back, kneeling between her legs. Suddenly feeling shy, she pulled her shirt closed as Edward ran his hands up and down her thighs. He was still smiling, and she somehow suspected she had the very same stupid grin on her face.

"I'm going to go… clean up," he told her, glancing down at his pants and crinkling his nose in distaste at the sticky mess she was sure lay beneath his clothes.

Bella snickered. "Sorry."

Edward eyed her as he climbed off the couch. "You should be," he decided. "Being responsible for the best fully-clothed orgasm of my life definitely requires an apology."

It was impossible to keep her cheeks from flushing at his comment. Best fully-clothed orgasm of his _life_? Well… damn. She was feeling pretty smug, with that revelation.

Still grinning, Edward leaned down and gave her a quick, hard kiss. He barely pulled back before saying in a low, rough voice that practically dripped sex, "If we're that good together with our clothes on, I can't wait to see what happens when nothing's in the way."

He flashed his patented panty-dropping smile, then he was on his way to the bathroom, leaving a mush-brained and stunned Bella to process everything.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out in a rush. She covered her face with one hand and tried to figure out how they'd gotten there. Things had gotten out of control in a hurry. Not that she regretted it, but she certainly hadn't planned on things moving so fast. It seemed that she had very little control over herself when they were together. And that was bad. At least, it was bad for her plan to take things slowly.

But really, she should've realized as much from the kiss they'd shared in the park back in Forks. He'd caused her hormones to go from zero to sixty in two seconds flat.

Bella slid her hand from her face up into her hair, pushing the slightly sweaty mass off her face. And suddenly she couldn't stop giggling. Because she knew only one thing for sure: where Edward Cullen was concerned? She was well and truly fucked.

And she kind of loved it. Kind of a lot.

* * *

**_Well....? **shifts around nervously**_**


	18. Chapter 18

**WARNING: The first part of this chapter contains spoilers for the final season of Battlestar Galactica. I've already ruined it for one reader, and I feel absolutely horrible about it, so... here's your heads-up.**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

It had taken them several days of pretty much non-stop viewing, but Edward and Bella had finally made it through their BSG marathon. They'd finished watching the final season a couple of hours earlier, but the debate over the quality of the series' conclusion was on-going.

"No, seriously, Cullen, you have to admit that it's a total cop-out," Bella huffed, gesturing towards the television with obvious disgust. "It's like the writers didn't have a clue and started pulling random ideas out their asses to decide how it would all end."

"It's not _that_ bad," Edward argued, trying not to laugh. She was far too cute for her own good when she got all pissed off over silly things like _Battlestar Galactica_. "Everything got wrapped up nicely. No loose ends."

"They cheaped out on the wrap-ups," she argued. "They came out of nowhere, just like the identities of the Final Five."

"No, they just had an original enough story-line that nobody could predict where it was going, let alone where it would end up," he explained with a shrug. His arm rested along the back of the couch so that he could gently rub Bella's neck as they continued their debate.

"The dudes who created the show admitted even they didn't know who the final Cylons were going to be when they started that plot arc!"

Edward shrugged. "But it worked. Shit, how much more unexpected can you get than having the ship's XO end up being one of the enemy? Nobody saw that coming."

"Nobody saw it coming because it didn't make sense," she argued.

"The Chewbacca defense, Swan? Really?" Edward couldn't help but smirk as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"One fandom at a time," she chastised with a gentle backhanded smack to his chest. "I'm just saying they could've done so much with the final few episodes, and they were just _lame_," she insisted.

"Not so lame that you didn't cry a couple of times," he teased.

"Shut. Up," she growled, smacking his chest again and making him laugh. "Starbuck's supposed to be what, then, an _angel_? Give me a fucking break. Head!Gaius and Head!Six, too? And Lee's turned into a total pussy. And I was sure Adama would kill himself when Laura died. And –"

Unable to resist her adorkable outrage over the final episode of BSG, which was hilarious since she'd already seen it, he leaned in and silenced her with a kiss.

The week following New Year's Eve had been at once the best of Edward's life to date, and one of the most frustrating. The good? Having Bella with him 24/7. Every night they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms, and woke the same way. They effectively shut themselves off from the outside world, including the clowns down the hall, and stayed encased in their very own little cocoon. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun, been so happy, or felt so completely at ease with another person.

It was frustrating, though, because Bella seemed to be holding back. There hadn't been a repeat of their couch escapade since that one night. Sure, they'd kissed and cuddled, but every time things started getting heated, Bella would put on the brakes, leaving him in a near-constant state of semi-arousal.

It was slowly driving him mad.

And as much as Edward would have loved to spend the entire week in bed making love with Bella, he didn't want to push her. Nor did he want her to think sex was all he was after. Because it wasn't.

But he sure wouldn't say no if she suggested it.

"Do you have any idea how sexy you are when you talk geek?" he murmured against her lips. His tongue darted out, and she opened her mouth to him with a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a chuckle.

"Pot, kettle. I wasn't the one coming up with theories for why Hera's blood worked to send Laura's cancer into remission," she reminded him with a playful nip of his bottom lip. The sensation went straight to his dick, and he groaned softly as he gathered her in his arms and maneuvered her onto his lap.

"Are you saying you find me sexy?" Edward teased, nuzzling the side of her neck as he wrapped her hair around his hand to keep her head bent back for easier access.

"Mmmmm," Bella hummed, burying one of her own hands into his hair and tugging on it the way he loved. "Maybe."

Not satisfied with that answer at all, Edward scraped his teeth lightly down the column of her neck, smiling as she shuddered in his arms and slid her forward on his lap so that her heat was pressing down against his hardness.

"Yes, okay? Yes." She moaned, shifting her hips so subtly that Edward had to wonder whether or not she was even aware she'd done it. "I think you're," she continued as he slipped his hand up the back of her top and her breath hitched, "incredibly sexy."

"_Incredibly_ sexy? Well, that's awfully good to know," he practically purred against her shoulder.

"It is?" Bella clawed at his back with the hand not in his hair, trying to draw him closer.

"Hmmm," he confirmed, lapping at the hollow of her collar bone."Because I think you're _amazingly_ sexy."

Gripping her tightly, he lay them down so that he was on top of her, relishing in the feel of her beneath him, her breasts crushed against his chest. She felt perfect, and he never, ever wanted to let her up again.

Their mouths crashed, hungry and almost desperate for the other. Reaching back, he urged her leg up around his hip, rocking into her and earning a breathy groan from the girl beneath him. His hand leaving her leg, it slid up and around until it gripped her perfect ass, allowing him to adjust the angle of her hips slightly, just enough to make her whimper when he circled his pelvis against hers.

He needed to touch her, to feel her… to know how he was affecting her.

Edward's hand began to move again, sliding inward, closer to where they were rubbing against each other almost desperately. He just barely brushed the tip of his finger against her, almost between them, and she tensed.

_Fuck._

In a flash, her lips wrenched from his and her hand was reaching down, pulling him away from what he was beginning to think of as her Restricted Area. Propping himself up on one elbow, he looked down at her, searching her face for anything that might explain why she was so hesitant to let them move forward.

"Bella…," Edward said through ragged breaths, not quite making it a question. He felt like shit when her cheeks turned crimson, and she tried to roll from underneath him. There would be none of that, though – he needed to know what was going on.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, clearly mortified and still struggling to move.

"No, don't apologize," he ordered, getting frustrated with the situation. "C'mere." Heaving a sigh, he sat up against the arm of the couch and drew Bella against him, their chests still pressed together. He stroked one hand up and down her back while he tried to will his heart back to a more normal rate. "Look, I'm not going to try to hide the fact that I want you," he said, lips pressed lightly against the crown of her head. "And most of the time, I think you want me, too. Am I right?"

Silently, Bella nodded, and Edward smiled, hoping it would translate in his tone. "I'm fine with holding off on hitting a home run, but I'd really like to round some bases with you while we work towards a grand slam." Just as he'd hoped, she chuckled. "Just… talk to me, Bella," he urged gently. "I need to know what's okay and what's not."

For a long moment, Bella was silent, and he could feel her jaw moving as she doubtlessly worried her lower lip. Finally she pushed against him and he reluctantly released her. She sat up and curled her legs beneath her, but didn't move away from him. It was obvious she was warring with herself, and she dragged a frustrated hand through her hair. He held her other hand gently, stroking the back of her fingers with his thumb.

"I really am sorry, Edward. It's been… a really, really long time for me," she finally admitted, voice soft and more vulnerable than he could remember ever hearing her before. Head bowed, she wouldn't look at him, so he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

He made an effort to keep his voice soft and gentle, despite the fact he really, really didn't want to think about the guys she'd been with before him. "How long?"

Her hand went to her hair again, and she sighed roughly. "Since Phoenix."

Edward's brows furrowed at that revelation. She wasn't exaggerating – it really had been a long time for her. And then his frown deepened as he tried to work out how old she'd been when she'd moved to Forks. She'd turned 16 before he'd met her, and he knew she'd left Phoenix several months before that…

Fifteen. Bella had been fifteen years old when she'd left Phoenix.

Protectiveness and jealousy surged and swirled together within him, and he clenched his jaw tight to keep from growling. Too young. She'd been too fucking young. For god sake, even he'd been sixteen when he'd lost his virginity, and looking back on it he probably hadn't been emotionally mature enough for it.

"We'd been dating for a while, and he kept pressuring me… we only did it a few times," she continued, and he could see her cheeks flushing brightly. Obviously, this wasn't something she was comfortable talking about, but he figured it needed to be brought out into the open if it was affecting her – _them_ – so profoundly. "He broke up with me a couple of weeks later, and I haven't been serious with anyone since. Until now, I mean."

Things started to fall into place, then. The fact that in the years he knew her, Bella had never had a boyfriend. He'd teased her about it on more than one occasion, accusing her of being too picky, not really understanding why she turned down the handful of guys he'd known for a fact were interested in her.

But now he knew – it was self-preservation. Which made the fact that she was now willing to date him just that much more significant.

**---**

_Flashback_

"_Please, Bella?"_

"_No."_

"_Bell –"_

"_Fuck off, Alice. I said no."_

_Edward had no clue what they were arguing about when he stepped into the front of the shop, still tying his apron securely in place for the start of his shift, but he had a feeling it could be amusing. He'd always gotten a kick out of Bella and Alice's unlikely friendship – the perky pixie and the belligerent bitch. _

_Well, that was what he'd thought of them in the beginning. He knew Bella better than that now, of course, after having worked with her for the better part of a year, but it still amused him._

_Wide, grey eyes found him and her face lit up in a stunning smile. "Edward!" Alice's tone was far too enthusiastic, and he was instantly wary, especially when he saw the scowl on Bella's face._

_He imitated her excited facial expression and cried, "Alice!" Bella snorted out a laugh, which had been his goal. Edward casually draped his arm around his co-worker's shoulders in a sign of solidarity. "What are you torturing Bella with this time?"_

_Alice looked affronted, and Bella smiled up at him gratefully. "I'm not torturing her at all," Alice protested with a cute little pout._

"_Lies," Bella grumbled._

"_Okay, fine," Alice relented with a sigh. "I'm trying to convince her to go on a double date."_

_Edward's eyebrows shot up into his hairline before he smirked down at Bella, noting that the scowl was back. "Oh, really?"_

"_I don't want to go," Bella ground out through clenched teeth._

"_I know, but do it for me," Alice pleaded. "You don't have to fall in love with him; you just need to spend a few hours with him."_

"_Why do you need it to be a double date?" Edward asked, not quite clear on the situation._

"_I want to go out with this guy in our class, but my parents won't let me go on solo dates until I'm eighteen," Alice explained. "They're overprotective, whatever. But Riley has an older brother who's really cute and nice, so if Bella agreed to come, and it turned into a double date, it would be okay."_

"_Not interested," Bella insisted. "I love you, Al, but I draw that line at double dating just so you can score some make-out time while I try not to stab some loser I have no interest in whatsoever."_

_On the one hand, Edward understood her logic, he really did, but he didn't see what was wrong with taking one night of your life to help out a friend. "Doesn't sound like a big deal to me."_

"_Thank you," Alice exclaimed before turning to Bella. "See? Edward gets it. Why's it so hard for you?"_

_Bella rolled her eyes. "Um, maybe because Edward's a serial dater, and I'm not?"_

"_Hey," he huffed, offended. "I'm not a serial dater. I haven't dated anyone seriously since Tanya and I broke up, and that was almost six months ago."_

_Bella waved her hand dismissively. "Semantics. The point is, you date. Maybe not seriously right now, but you like to date. I? Don't."_

"_At all?" Edward wondered, brow furrowing again. Because now that he thought about it, he didn't remember ever hearing about her going on dates or having a boyfriend. Which struck him as odd, because she was actually kinda cute. He was surprised she didn't date more. Or, at all._

"_Nope. Never."_

"_Yeah, that might be because you broadcast 'stay the fuck away from me' to every guy within a ten-mile radius," Alice grumbled. _

"_Considering the options around here, can you really blame me?" Bella challenged. _

"_Wow," Edward drawled, whistling in amusement. "None of the guys in Forks are worthy? Think your standards might be a little high there, Swan?"_

"_Fuck you, Cullen," she spat back, trying to step away from him, but he just tightened his hold on her shoulders with a laugh._

"_I keep offering you a quickie in the back room, but you never take me up on it," he teased, earning an elbow to his ribs that actually almost hurt. Crap, he was really pissing her off._

_Alice crossed her arms over her chest and pouted some more. "Pleeeeeeease, Bella?"_

"_No," she replied firmly. "Ask Jessica, she'll go out with anything with a dick. Or Angela, because she's too nice to say 'no' to you."_

_The girls stared each other down and Edward was pretty sure he could hear the old Western show-down music in the background. He wasn't sure whether he was surprised or not when it was Alice who backed down first._

"_You suck," she informed Bella with a pout. "I won't have as much fun with either of them."_

"_You're supposed to be paying more attention to your date than the friend you're doubling with," Bella pointed out, then sighed at the hang-dog expression on her best friend's face. "Al, you know I'll do pretty much anything for you, but this is where I draw the line. I'm sorry."_

_Apparently not one to hold a grudge, Alice leaned over the counter and hugged Bella as best as she could. "I know," she admitted. "And don't worry, I still love you." Alice released her and dropped back down to the floor. "Even if you're abandoning me in my hour of need."_

"_I'll see you tomorrow, Alice," Bella said pointedly, lips twitching as she obviously fought the desire to smile._

"_Fine. You two kids have a fun night." No worse for wear, clearly, the shorter girl grinned brightly at them and fairly skipped towards the door, turning to give a final wave before stepping outside._

_Edward simply shook his head in bemusement. "She'd be exhausting to be around all day, every day."_

"_You have no idea," Bella muttered, but her love for her friend was evident in the way she smiled when she said it. She moved away, and this time he let her keep her hands busy by making sure supplies were topped up._

"_So what's this about you not dating?"_

"_Oh god, not you, too," she groaned in exasperation. "I just don't date. No interest in it. Been there, done that, bored to fucking tears. I refuse to go out with some loser just to fit into the typical teenager mold."_

"_Did you date in Phoenix?" Edward wondered aloud, watching as she refilled the napkin dispenser._

"_A bit." Bella nodded as she worked. "The gene pool's not quite as shallow there," she joked. "Slightly better selection."_

_Laughing, Edward passed behind her, but not without reaching out to tug gently on her ponytail. He just couldn't resist when she wore her hair back. He wondered if the boys at Forks High had even an inkling of what they were missing by Bella being off the market… apparently by choice._

**---**

Edward was seeing red. Some punk-ass desert-dweller had pushed _fifteen-year-old_ Bella into sleeping with him, and then after he'd gotten what he wanted, he dumped her? No wonder she was gun shy. Edward wanted to get on the next flight to Phoenix, track the fucker down, and kill him.

He suspected Emmett and Jasper would happily help hide the body.

"So it's not that I don't want to be with you," she admitted. "I'm just… out of practice."

Something told him that wasn't all it was. Gently, he reached out and placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head up until he could see her eyes. They were guarded and scared, and it made him feel like crying for her.

"And you're scared I'm going to do the same thing – that I'll sleep with you and then leave you," he added in a whisper. It broke his heart that she could even think that, but considering the asshole moves he'd made in the past... He was astute enough to realize that was a big part of it. "I'm not going anywhere, Bella. I want you so badly I can hardly think straight sometimes, but I don't care if we don't sleep together until next month, next year, or, hell, if we wait until we get married." She chuffed out a soft laugh, clearly thinking he was exaggerating. He wasn't. At all. He leaned in and brushed his lips against her forehead. "Take all the time you need. I promise I'll still be here whenever you decide you're ready."

He might very well die from blue balls in the process, but he figured it was a reasonable price to pay.

Bella watched him, her eyes hopping from one of his to the other as she tried to gauge the sincerity behind his words. Finally, it seemed she was satisfied with what she saw. "You really mean that, don't you?"

He tried not to take offense at the wonder in her quietly-spoken words. "I really do," Edward confirmed. "You know you've got two big brothers down the hall who would be more than happy to string me up by the balls if I screwed this up, right?" Her lips curled into an adorable little crooked smile, and he couldn't help but kiss it before pulling her into a tight hug. "I was telling you the truth when I said I'm dead serious about us. I'm in this for as long as you're willing to put up with me."

He knew it would be an uphill battle – even more of one than he'd originally thought. Yes, he had a lot to make up for, but he also needed to restore her faith in the male species in general. He needed to get her to believe him, believe _in_ him. He just needed to figure out how to convince her that he wouldn't leave her again, that he wouldn't disappoint her, that she could trust him with her heart.

Fuck, she really was turning him into a girl. The only thing keeping him from wondering if his testicles had retreated to turn into ovaries was the fact that they were currently throbbing with want as Bella shifted innocently against them.

They stayed like that, simply holding each other, for a long time. So long, in fact, that Edward was beginning to think Bella might have fallen asleep. But then he felt her fingers slip under the hem of his shirt, and his skin erupted into goose bumps as she stroked stroked his side. She kept it up for several minutes, before slipping her hand higher, pressing her cool palm against his hot skin and sliding it firmly up his ribs and around to his back.

"Feels nice," he murmured into her hair.

"Hmmm, I think so," she agreed, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Hey, Cullen?" Edward looked down at her curiously as she pulled back slightly, a mischievous spark in her eyes. Slowly, she moved her hand around to his chest, stroking from pecks to abs and back again. "I feel like running some bases…"

Good god, he was going to get whiplash at the rate she was going. On, off, on, off… how did she do it? Were girls' libidos really that much different from guys'?

Not that he was stupid enough to protest, but still.

"Oh yeah?"

"Hmmm," Bella confirmed in a sexy almost-purr that did wonderful-awful things to him. Rolling onto her knees, she knelt between Edward's legs and looped her arms loosely over his shoulders. He couldn't suppress a shudder when her fingers slid through the hair at the nape of his neck. Setting his hands on her hips, he pulled her towards him and leaned forward to meet her halfway.

Their lips met softly, gently, moving together in an unhurried caress. This time it was her tongue that ventured out to deepen the kiss, and Edward's met hers stroke for stroke, savoring the taste of her. He slid his hands into her silky hair, cradling her head as they continued to kiss, the passion between them building with every breath.

When her little hands began tugging at the hem of his shirt, trying to shove it higher, he silently cheered and happily yanked it over his head, tossing it haphazardly into the oblivion beyond the sofa. Bella explored his chest greedily, and Edward was more than happy to let her take her time. He hissed in a breath when she drew her short nails over his nipples, and she laughed into his mouth.

Okay, two could play that game...

Slowly enough to give her a chance to protest, Edward bunched her t-shirt up and worked it up her torso, stopping at her breasts. When she simply sat back and lifted her arms for him, he mentally fist-pumped and slipped it over her head, chucking it in the same general direction he'd thrown his own. Her bra was a plain light blue, matching one of the colors in her pajama pants almost exactly. It was adorable, and he wondered if she'd done that on purpose.

He also wondered if her panties matched…

Setting his hands on her tiny waist, he watched as he slowly drew them up her delicate rib cage, marveling at how small she was. Glancing up and seeing Bella gnawing her lower lip, eyes closed and head tipped backwards, he forgot to breathe. She was so beautiful, and she was all his.

Growling softly, he palmed her breasts and squeezed firmly before circling his hands around to the back and unfastening the sweet but annoyingly concealing piece of cotton. She helped shrug it off, and Edward wasted no time swooping forward and taking one pert, pink nipple between his lips.

Releasing her peak with soft popping sound, he wrapped his arms around her, he crushing her to him, needing her closer. At the sensation of bare skin against bare skin, they moaned in tandem, and _all_ the blood finally left Edward's brain.

He rolled them both over and slid down, settling with Bella pressed snugly between his chest and the back of the couch. His hand slid between them, thumb circling her nipple and drawing a guttural moan from her. Their hips sought out the other's, colliding repeatedly in an attempt to get even closer.

God, he wanted to touch her. He wanted to touch her more than he wanted to take his next breath, to slip his hand inside her pajamas, under her panties, and feel the wetness he knew would be there.

Just imagining it made him throb painfully.

As if sensing his distress, Bella brushed her hand over the source of his delicious discomfort, and he couldn't keep from thrusting against it, desperate for more friction, more pressure. She didn't disappoint, and the next thing he knew, her hand was wrapped around him, squeezing him firmly through his clothes, and he nearly wept.

"Ungh… fuck," he gasped against her lips as he continued to devour her sweet mouth. Edward figured if he were taking his cues from her, maybe he was going to be granted the same liberty…?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so he reluctantly released her breast and slid his hand down, stroking over her hip, down her outer thigh, and back up, trying to give Bella a chance to figure out what he wanted. His heart nearly burst through his chest when she hitched her leg up, resting her knee on his hip, opening herself to him. Slowly, he brought his hand to the apex of her thighs and cupped her gently, groaning at the heat radiating through her clothes. She whimpered and shifted her hips against his hand at the same time as she began stroking him, and he almost came right then.

Which would have been embarrassing, but understandable, given the circumstances.

Kissing harshly, their hands worked between them, bumping together occasionally in their efforts to explore. Bella's slender fingers grew brave, venturing beneath the waist band of first his pajamas and then his underwear. They moved slowly through the hair that trailed from his navel downward, and into the wiry nest at his base. When they carefully glided down his length, he couldn't help the whine that slipped from his lips. And the moment they wrapped around him completely, Edward was sure he'd died and gone to heaven.

In an attempt to prolong the experience, he decided to try distracting himself. He followed her lead, and moved his hand up, playing along the band of her pajamas.

"Bella…?" Edward pleaded in a soft whisper, not stopping his assault on her mouth. Her response came in the form of her grip tightening as she pumped him, and her hips rocking forward.

He didn't need to be told twice.

Reverently, he trailed his fingers gently over her tummy, along her waistband, before slipping underneath. He was met with warm, soft skin, and her sharp intake of breath. An inch of so further down he found the narrow elastic band marking the top of her panties, and he soldiered on, burrowing beneath this second, thinner layer of cotton. Bella was trembling slightly, but she didn't protest, and she kept moving her hand up and down his length, quickly driving him to mad.

Continuing its journey, his hand finally met a small, delicate patch of hair. He stayed in that spot for a long moment, teasing through the soft curls until he drew a whimper from her, and her hips were shifting restlessly. Slowly, he moved his fingers down, spreading them to trail lightly over her while avoiding the places he wanted to touch most. He forced himself to go slow, stroking her outer lips several times before finally moving further back.

With a single finger, he searched out her entrance, groaning loudly when he encountered her wet heat. Hungrily, Edward intensified their kisses, his free hand holding her head in place as their mouths warred. Forcing his touch to stay light, he swirled his finger through her wetness, turned on beyond belief that _he'd_ caused her body to react like that, and trailed it up through her folds, drawing the moisture with it.

Bella moaned as he explored her, seeking out that magic spot and spreading her wetness around it in concentric circles. Her hips bucked and her grip on him faltered, causing him to grin proudly against her mouth.

"Feel good?" The question was more a breath than actual words, but Bella understood and nodded enthusiastically.

"Hmmmm... So good. God, Edward…"

She seemed to regain some of her higher brain function, because her hand began to move again, up and down, over the head, spreading the pre-cum the same way he'd spread her own juices. He was getting close. Too close, too fast, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her to slow down. He needed this. They _both_ needed this.

Moving his fingers slowly, he slid back again towards her entrance, and he slowly slipped one finger inside her. He nearly lost it as she increased the speed of her stroking, making soft little noises of pleasure as her hips continued to rock. She was so hot, so wet, so tight… he just wanted to rip off their clothes and slam into her until she screamed his name. Instead, he added a second finger, pumping in and out of her slowly but steadily.

The sounds… the whimpers, the whines, the mewling… God, Bella was killing him. She wasn't loud, which made it just that much hotter, really, because her quiet little noises were almost lost in his mouth, and only he could hear them.

When he reached up with his thumb, pressing down on her clit, she nearly bit off his tongue as her jaw snapped shut. "God…," she ground out through clenched teeth. Her hand continued pumping him, and he was fighting to hold on, determined to get her there first. His fingers pushed into her roughly, his thumb working its magic further up, and he could tell she was close. She was tensing up, breathing in desperate pants against his open mouth, neither of them able to concentrate enough to continue kissing. With every exhalation, she whimpered, and he wanted to swallow the sounds and keep them with him forever. Their sweaty foreheads pressed together, and Edward forced his eyes open. He needed to see her face.

Eyes clenched shut, a deep furrow of concentration between her brows, kiss-swollen lips parted, she was single-handedly the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen.

"Bella…," he groaned, feeling the telltale tightening in his groin.

"Oh god… god… don't stop," she whispered, hips moving almost frantically now against his hand, her increasingly erratic strokes speeding up to match his.

Her body stiffened and stilled, breath catching in her throat, as her inner muscles fluttered and then clenched around his fingers. Only her hips continued moving, rocking eagerly into his fingers before clamping her legs tight around his hand to keep it in place, prolonging the duration of her orgasm.

"Keep going," he pleaded, then kissed her hard as he bucked into her hand. A half dozen more strokes was all it took, and he was groaning into her mouth, thrusting and exploding into her fist as he found his release.

They shared slow, languid kisses as their bodies stopped trembling, and Edward fought against speaking the three little words that were bubbling up from his gut, begging to be said aloud. He was surprised that he felt it so soon, but at the same time he wasn't, because... well, it was Bella. Somehow, though, he knew it was too soon to voice those feelings.

Sighing happily, Edward rolled onto his back and held Bella tightly. He tucked her head beneath his chin and they lay together in silence, simply recovering. It wasn't long before Bella's breathing evened out, and he knew she'd drifted off.

He dragged down the throw blanket from the back of the couch, making sure it was tucked snugly around Bella's bare back. He didn't want her getting chilled in her shirtless state. Her falling asleep was crappy timing, really, because he had an uncomfortable mess in his pants he'd have preferred to remedy, but he didn't want to disturb her.

He'd simply have to endure. Because taking a nap with a beautiful, half-naked girl in his arms was a real trial.

* * *

**_And some more lemonade for all you little hornballs. Hope you liked! ;-)_**

**_What? I'm a self-admitted hornball, too - I love reading smut! There's no shame in it, dammit!_**


	19. Chapter 19

**_I wasn't going to post this until morning, but I'm in meetings most of tomorrow, so I'm not sure I'd get the chance. So here you go!_**

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Chapter 19

The winter semester was in full swing, Christmas break was little more than a fond memory for the students at U Dub, who now found themselves trudging through snow and freezing rain and slush, bundled up against the biting cold. Bella pulled her scarf up around her neck as she walked, head down, into the wind.

It was times like this she really, really missed Phoenix.

Despite the crappy winter weather, though, January had been proving to be a lot less depressing than it usually was, for one reason and one reason only: Edward. He was just… amazing, quite frankly. Some days, Bella felt the urge to pinch herself because he seemed too good to be true. He still possessed all the qualities that made him her best friend (next to Alice, of course), but he was also sweet, attentive, romantic, demonstrative with his affections… basically, he was the perfect boyfriend.

So why was she constantly expecting the other shoe to drop?

Every time Bella felt herself getting too comfortable, too confident, too happy, too emotionally involved, she'd come up with a laundry list of reasons why it would never last. And they were countless. When she really put her mind to it, she could come up with a lot more reasons why it never would last than reasons why it might. And when she got into those mindsets, she knew she distanced herself from Edward – be it for an hour or a couple of days, she retreated in an attempt to collect herself and fortify her emotional defenses.

She knew it was destructive and dysfunctional. She _knew_ it. And she also knew if she kept it up, she'd create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Edward would get tired of her hot and cold behavior, and decide to cut his losses.

The prospect of that terrified Bella, even though a very vocal part of her figured it was inevitable. Eventually.

There were many reasons she hadn't dated since leaving Phoenix, and Noah was only one of them. There was also the fact that she didn't know how to be part of an honest-to-god relationship. Bella considered herself to be relationship retarded – she had absolutely no clue how to conduct herself in a mature, stable relationship. She was too stubborn, too independent, too filled with self-doubt to commit fully, to let herself be vulnerable by showing her emotional hand. It was just too scary to give anyone that kind of power over her.

She'd given Edward that power over her before, and she'd gotten burned. As hard as she was trying to get past that, it was still there, poking at the back of her mind reminding her that it was dangerous to let him in.

Unfortunately, Edward had that power, regardless of whether or not he was aware of it.

Bella tried telling herself that she'd just enjoy it for as long as it lasted. She wouldn't think too far ahead, she wouldn't try to imagine a future together. Oh, she knew damn well Edward believed he was committed to her, that, as he said, he was in for the long haul. But everyone said that. Everyone believed that, at least in the initial stages of any relationship. But the stats made it pretty clear that the best of intentions meant jack shit, when it came right down to it. Relationships failed daily, half of all marriages ended in divorce... So one day at a time, that was the only way she could approach this.

Lemming-ing along with a dense crowd of students, she made her way inside the liberal arts building, breathing out a sigh of relief at the warmth that suddenly enveloped her frozen nose. Tip of her nose, fingers, and toes, those were the parts of her that always got cold first – and took the longest to warm up.

She stomped the snow off her boots and veered down a side hallway to get out of the main flow of traffic. Bella took off her hat, shaking it off so that it might actually be fairly dry by the time her next class was over.

Leaning against the wall, she unwound her scarf and stuffed it, her hat, and mitts into the outside pocket if her bag so her books and papers would stay dry. Heaving the bag over her shoulder, she prepared to set out when she heard a laugh that instantly brought a smile to her lips.

Edward.

Bella headed towards the sound, and found it was an open classroom. From the hallway, she could see there were a handful of people scattered throughout the room, and Edward was nearest to the door talking with… an exotically gorgeous girl with olive skin, long, shiny, almost-black hair and huge eyes that could've been anything from light hazel to grey, it was impossible to tell. Regardless, she was stunning. She'd give Rosalie a run for her money in the beauty department.

Not wanting to interrupt, and having a sick, masochistic need to watch, Bella lingered around the doorway, out of Edward's line of sight but well within hearing distance.

The girl was laughing and tossing her hair over her shoulder, batting her heavily made-up eyes and giving him that sweetly seductive look that she was convinced all girls had been taught at puberty. Apparently, Bella had missed class that day, because she couldn't have pulled that off if her life depended on it.

It annoyed her that Edward had his back to the door, because she'd love to be able to see the look on his face. It would tell her a lot, she figured.

The conversation was nothing terribly exciting – discussing an up-coming assignment, apparently, that neither of them was especially excited about. Skanky McHo laughed again and reached out, touching Edward's forearm.

He didn't shake her off. He didn't tell her to stop touching him. He just laughed again, causing Skanky to smile even more.

_Well, fuck._

Bella bristled, feeling a familiar lump forming in her stomach.

_**--- **_

_Flashback_

_Bella had tried her damndest to put the whole prom debacle behind her. She and Edward were completely back to normal, thank god, and in two months, he'd be leaving for college and she'd probably never see him again. Oh sure, she figured they'd probably make an effort to stay in touch, at least at first, but then Edward would get swept up in the whole college experience, and he'd slowly disappear from her life. It was inevitable._

_And it was for the best._

_She could survive two more months, she knew she could. And then she could snap out of the infantile crush she harbored for him and move on with her life. She'd be a senior in the fall, and there would be much, fun to be had._

_Really. There would be._

_Bella was working full-time hours at Java Jive for the summer, but Edward was still on part-time, enjoying his last summer of relative freedom before embarking on the beginnings of his medical career._

_And don't even get her started on that decision of his. A great big mistake, that's what she thought it was. His passion was music, not medicine. But he felt some misguided desire to follow in his father's footsteps and become the fourth generation of Cullen men to become doctors._

_A part of Bella wondered if he felt that desire so strongly in part because he wasn't a Cullen by blood and wanted to prove his loyalties. She knew Edward wasn't weirded out by the fact that he was adopted, but she figured there must be a nagging little thing in the back of his mind not letting him forget it, especially when it came to family legacies and the like._

_Not that anything he'd ever told her about his parents led her to believe they'd be anything but supportive of any decision Edward made, but still._

_It was one of Bella's rare days off and Alice had kidnapped her to catch a movie in Port Angeles. Not that she minded. She hadn't seen much of Alice since school had ended for the summer. They'd just finished loading up at the concession stand (what good was a movie without movie theatre popcorn??) and were heading towards their theatre when Bella spotted a mop of familiar reddish hair._

_Apparently, Alice had spotted him at the same time. "Hey, is that –"_

"_I think so," Bella said slowly, craning her neck to see past a giggling crowd of pre-teens. _

_And she really wished she hadn't seen him. Beside him was a tall, willowy girl with sun-kissed hair and legs that were as long as Bella was tall, shown off to perfection in a pair of short-shorts. Bella tried to swallow around the lump in her throat, and nearly choked._

"_Edward," Alice called loudly, causing Bella to wince… and frantically try to find somewhere to hide. Especially when he looked towards them and the confusion on his face was replaced by what she could only identify as embarrassment. He offered a lopsided smile and a half-hearted wave at them and continued walking, his hand slipping to the back of his companion as they walked out the door._

_Alice seemed completely unfazed by the exchange, and chattered on happily as she led the way into their assigned theatre._

_Bella wanted to cry._

_Why did it hurt so much to see him with someone else? She had absolutely no claim on him. He was her co-worker and friend, and that was all. He'd made that abundantly clear on multiple occasions. _

_She couldn't keep doing this to herself. She really, really had to get over him. If only she knew how._

_  
__**---**_

Edward was shifting his bag on his shoulder as he perched on the edge of an empty desk, and he was either oblivious to Skanky's obvious flirting, or he was encouraging her. From her vantage point, Bella couldn't really tell. She knew what she hoped for, but was that realistic?

"I'd love to partner up with you on this project," she told him, looking up at him from beneath her long lashes. Her _really_ long lashes. Was she wearing false eyelashes? To _class_? That was just… beyond ridiculous.

He didn't reply right away, or if he did, Bella didn't hear him. She was completely preoccupied by the clawed finger now trailing along the collar of his jacket and up along his jaw as she continued speaking. "Actually, I'd like to _partner_ with you on a whole lot of things, and none of them are particularly academic," Skanky amended, and Bella was literally frozen. Her boyfriend was being blatantly propositioned. In front of her.

Granted, neither of them knew she was there, but still.

It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Bella wanted desperately to turn away from the anticipated carnage, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Or even breathe.

Edward's back noticeably straightened as he reached up and gently grasped the wrist of the hand that was trying to cop a feel of his stubbly jaw. Bella bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.

"I've got a girlfriend," she heard him inform Skankzilla, and her heart tentatively began to beat again.

"So?" Skanky questioned, appearing to be honestly confused by what his point could possibly be. Bella fought the urge to lunge through the doorway and throttle the bitch.

Bella heard Edward's soft bark of laughter. "So, _I've got a girlfriend_," he repeated slowly.

"What she doesn't know can't hurt her," McSkankerson shrugged prettily and flashed him a butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth smile. "And I won't tell if you don't."

But… what… she… that…? Gah! _Bitch!!_

She watched as he dropped the McHo-bag's wrist as if it were something incredibly distasteful and shook his head. "Not interested," he informed her, his tone suddenly much harder, less forgiving. "Y'know, if a guy tells you he's got a girlfriend, you really should take the hint and back off."

In her mind, Bella was waving pompoms and cheering Edward on. This was more than she'd ever, in a million years, expected. Or hoped for.

Skanky just laughed. "I've never met a guy yet who's stayed faithful to a girlfriend in college. It's just expected that you'll cheat. I'm sure she's doing it, too, so she won't mind."

"Then you're meeting the wrong guys," Edward informed her, standing and forcing her to take several steps backwards. "Find yourself another partner for the project. I'm out."

As he turned, Bella scrambled before he could see her, bolting down the corridor and into the main hallway, getting lost in the crowd of students working their way towards class. She needed time to process what she'd just witnessed. She couldn't face him right then. Because… he'd just exceeded every possible expectation she had for him. There weren't a lot of guys out there strong enough to resist a blatant come-on like that from a girl who looked like _that_.

But Edward had not only turned her down, he'd actually seemed angry.

Was it possible that he really was one of the good ones? She hoped he was, but…

It had been virtually impossible for Bella to concentrate during her last class, the scene between Edward and the Whore of UDub too fresh in her mind. As soon as she was free, she headed straight to the student union for some comfort food.

Or as close as one could get with school food.

A heaping plate of French fries, a greasy, oozing cheeseburger, and a giant chocolate milkshake later, and she was feeling slightly better. Full to the point of bursting, but better. Shoving her tray aside, she pulled out the book for her next class and tried to focus. After god-only-knows how long, Bella gave up, knowing it was absolutely pointless. Growling softly to herself, she scrubbed her face with her hands.

"Bellarina!"

Her head snapped up and she couldn't help but smile as Emmett plopped into the empty seat across from her. His tray held a massive meatball sub, a side of fries, and a massive bucket o' pop. The boy could definitely eat, and there wasn't an ounce of fat on him.

Not _anywhere_ on him, according to Rosalie, which was just a little too much information.

"Hey, Em," she replied with her first genuine smile in several hours. It wasn't often that she ran into any of her friends around campus, each of them being in different programs and taking very different courses, but every once in a while their paths would cross, and it was a wonderful treat.

He returned her smile, swoon-worthy dimples winking before he sobered. "That's not a happy face," he observed, dark brows drawn together slightly.

"I'm fine," she automatically protested, but Emmett was not to be fooled.

"What'd he do?"

Well, crap. So much for her poker face. "What did who do?" she asked, playing dumb.

Rolling his eyes, he picked up a fry and used it to point at her before he popped it in his mouth. "Eddie-boy, of course," he clarified. "And don't try that 'nothing' crap you girls always seem to use, because I'm calling bullshit. Do you need me to beat him up for you?"

Bella snorted out a soft laugh and stole a French fry from his plate. He swatted her hand away with a mock glare, which earned him a slightly more genuine chuckle.

"He didn't do anything, honest," she admitted with a sigh.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I'm thinking too much," she finally confessed. "I just need to... stop."

"Um, you realize you're in college, right? Thinking is kinda encouraged around here…"

"Smartass," Bella teased with a crooked grin. Emmett grinned triumphantly.

"Ah, see there? I got a smile out of you." Dark blue eyes flashed in amusement, and Bella just shook her head. He grew quiet as he worked on his lunch, and she made no effort to keep the conversation going. A comfortable silence descended, both just doing their own thing and enjoying the company.

"Have you ever cheated?" Belle blurted out finally, obviously catching Emmett by surprise. He choked slightly on his last bite of sub, washing it down with several long gulps of Mountain Dew.

"Cheated?" he repeated when he'd stopped his sputtering and coughing. "I'm gonna assume you mean on a girlfriend and not on a test…?" She nodded. "No. I was cheated on, though," Emmett admitted, "when I was young and stupid and blinded by a pretty face."

"What happened?" Bella probed gently, honestly curious.

Taking a deep breath, Emmett seemed to consider his words carefully. "Same old same old. Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, girl sleeps with boy's best friend behind boy's back." He eyed her sideways. "After being on the receiving end of that, there was no way in hell I was ever going to do that to someone else. It just... sucked. Ass." He cocked his head slightly as he regarded her warily. "Do I even want to know why you're asking?"

Bella shook her head quickly. "Don't look at me like that, I haven't done shit," she protested quickly. Too quickly, because Emmett's eyebrows shot up and his jaw clenched.

"Okay, what the fuck did Edward do?"

"Nothing," she confessed with a sigh, letting her head fall forward onto her folded arms. She peeked up at him through her hair. "Promise you won't talk to anyone about this?" He nodded, but she could tell he wasn't thrilled about it.

"I didn't mean to spy," she began, and Emmett groaned, palming his face.

"Fuck, Bella, nothing good ever comes after those words."

"I know! And I'm sorry! But I really _didn't_ mean to spy, I swear," she insisted, eyes pleading with him to just listen. "I saw Edward talking to some skank-whore from hell. She was all over him. I heard her proposition him, even after he told her he had a girlfriend."

Emmett stayed silent, simply watching her. He nodded for her to continue.

"She told him it didn't matter, and that everyone cheats in college, that no guy ever stays faithful."

"Bullshit," he barked, scowling darkly. "That's fucking bullshit. You think Jasper would cheat on Ali? Or that I'd fuck around behind Rose's back? Fuck that shit."

"Have you ever - even before Rose, I mean - been tempted to cheat?"

"Never," Emmett informed her adamantly. "I've had plenty of opportunities, but I've not once been tempted to actually do anything about it."

Chewing on her lower lip, Bella nodded, watching her finger as she traced random patterns across the table top. "Hey," he called gently, trying to get her attention again. Lifting her gaze, she caught his. "Edward's crazy about you, Bells. He's been crazy about you for fucking _years_. There's no way in hell he'd ever risk screwing things up, and sure as hell not for some cheap-ass campus bicycle."

She chuffed out a laugh at that and gave him a crooked smile. "I hope you're right."

"Pffffft, hope? Hope shmope," Emmett scoffed. "He turned her down flat, right?" Bella nodded. "See? Nothin' to worry about."

Her smile was obviously still a little forced because he pushed back his chair and held his arms open for her. "C'mere, Bellarina, let Uncle Emmett make it all better."

There was no way she _couldn't_ laugh at that. Pushing her chair back, she did as he bade, hopping onto his lap and letting him wrap her up in his massive arms. "I don't know how you managed to say that without making it sound dirty," she chuckled, "but you did. Barely."

"All in a day's work." He hugged her, stroking her hair soothingly. It was obvious Emmett was used to taking care of his younger siblings when they were upset. All five of them. It was no wonder they adored him. "Really, though, Bells, give Eddie the benefit of the doubt. He's a good guy, and he's not gonna do anything to risk losing you." She smiled and nodded. "And if for some unimaginable reason he's stupid enough to step out of line, he'll have to deal with me and Jasper."

"And Rose and Alice," Bella chimed in.

"And Rose and Alice," he agreed, and she could hear the grin in his voice. "And he'd be smart to be more afraid of them than of us. They'd mess up that pretty face of his so bad he'd never get a girl to look twice at him again. So don't you worry, we've got your back."

She didn't doubt it for a second.

Bella stood outside of Edward's apartment door trying to work up the courage to knock. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to pay him a visit, so she hadn't given him any warning. She knew he was home; she could hear his TV.

She felt a lot better after her talk with Emmett. He was good at smacking her upside the head, but in a gentle and loving way, and making her see what was actually in front of her, not what she thought might possibly someday be there. And what it boiled down to was that Edward was with _her_, not some other girl. And this afternoon he'd risen above the stereotype of the typical horny college guy who'd bone anything that gave him a chance. He'd told Skanky off.

And if hanging out with Jake for so long had taught her anything about boys, it was that good behavior should be rewarded. Even if he didn't know what, exactly, he was being rewarded _for_.

Taking a deep breath, Bella knocked, rocking back from heel to toe and back again as she waited. When the door opened, an adorably disheveled Edward stood there, hair in a million different directions and blinking stupidly before breaking into a knee-weakening grin. Without saying anything, he stepped back and motioned for her to enter.

"This is a fan-fucking-tastic surprise," he informed her, wrapping his arms around her as soon as she had her jacket and boots off. Edward brushed his lips over hers, and she melted against him, hands instantly in his hair and urging him closer. When they parted, he hugged her tight and buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. "So glad you're here."

Bella's brow furrowed and she pulled back, trying to see his face. "You okay?"

He let out a heavy sigh and nodded, lifting his head with obvious reluctance. "Just a weird fucking day." Edward smiled at her and stroked her cheek. "I really wanted to see you, but I didn't want to seem pathetic and needy by calling and asking you to come over."

Her lips quirked and she rubbed her hand up and down his back. "I kinda like it when you're pathetic and needy," she teased. "It's good to feel wanted."

One of his eyebrows arched pointedly. "You're _always_ wanted," he informed her before swooping in for another kiss. "Never, ever doubt that."

"Yeah?" Bella questioned playfully.

"Hmmm, definitely," he confirmed, nipping at her lips again. "Care for a demonstration?"

Without waiting for a reply, Edward picked her up and carried her over to the couch, lying down with her on top of him. He combed his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face, and he smiled softly at her. "Now, where were we?"

"Right about… here, I think," Bella murmured against his lips, playing along with him.

"I think you're right," he confirmed, then pulled her lower lip gently between his before kissing her properly.

It was probably wrong how quickly and easily her body responded to him. In the scant weeks since their first kiss, he'd learned her cues and signals, learned how to read her and play her as masterfully as he played his baby grand. It was almost embarrassing, but... not. Because, really, Bella loved that he could make her feel that way.

Tonight, though, wasn't about her. It was about _him_. His reward for being a good boyfriend in the face of such blatant temptation earlier that day.

All it took was a gentle tug on his shirt before it was off and flying across the room. When he tried to do the same with hers, she simply batted his hands away and kissed his Adam's apple. "Behave," she murmured against his throat, smiling as she felt him swallow hard. But he obeyed, moving one hand to her hair and the other along the back of the couch, gripping the cushion firmly to keep it out of trouble.

Taking her time, Bella kissed her way down his throat, tongue darting out occasionally to taste him. She nuzzled her nose where his collarbones joined, then followed the ridge to the right, kissing along until she reached his shoulder. He hummed happily at the attention, and she could feel him beginning to relax. Kissing her way back, she worked her way down his sternum, fingers splaying out on either side of her, gently caressing his pecs.

He didn't have a lot of hair on his chest, and for that she was grateful. She much preferred to have unobstructed access to his hot, smooth skin, without having to worry about picking wiry little hairs out of her teeth.

And suddenly she understood why men seemed to be partial to Brazillians.

Back to task, though.

Bella plucked teasingly at his nipples, smiling as he inhaled sharply, his hand clutching at her hair. She replaced her hand with her mouth, trailing the tip of her tongue around the tiny nub before flicking it. She was rewarded with a hiss that turned into a moan when she closed her lips around it and sucked teasingly.

"Bella," Edward groaned, moving both hands to her shoulders to try to draw her upwards. "C'mere." Instead, she kept dragging her lips further south.

"Unh-uhn," she argued, lips pressed to slightly fuzzy skin just below his navel, directly above the band of his pajamas. Her cheeks flushed as she steeled herself and looked up at him. "I'm fine right here."

"Bella, you don't have to -" She silenced him by gently slipping her fingers inside the elastic of his pants and underwear, tugging them down together and freeing his erection.

Bella dragged her fingertip down from the tip, watching as it bobbed enticingly. It had been a while since she'd seen one in person, but if she recalled correctly, then Edward's was, in fact, rather lovely. He was larger than Noah, both in length and girth, but that was pretty much the limit for her basis of comparison. She didn't care how he actually rated in the grand scheme of things, just that she was the only one getting to see it in all its glory. It was hot and pink and smooth and literally throbbing beneath her fingers, a perfect teardrop of clear liquid collected at the tip.

He was perfect.

She lowered her head slowly and pressed gentle, teasing kisses up one side, then down then other. He was all ready squirming beneath her, and internally she was grinning madly. Eyes once again on his, she held his gaze through her curtain of hair as she licked him, slowly, from root to tip, before taking him fully into her mouth.

"Fuck," Edward hissed, grip tightening almost painfully on her shoulder before he released her, soothing his hand over the spot he'd man-handled.

Her tongue slowly worked its way up his shaft, his back arching off the couch as she reached the tip. He gasped out a choked "oh, god" as she shifted and took him fully into her mouth. Heat radiated through her belly at the choked sound of his voice. She gripped his base firmly as she slowly moved her head up and down, stopping only when he bumped against the back of her mouth, then repeating the motion.

His fingers dug into her shoulders as his hips rocked upward, and she couldn't quite help but smile around him. _"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" he choked out, his crooked smile slightly more lopsided than usual as he peered down at her through heavy-lidded eyes._Releasing him with a pop, Bella grinned up at him before swiping at him again with her tongue. "Killing isn't _quite_ what I had in mind," she confessed wickedly, surprised by her sudden increase in confidence. Swirling her tongue around the head, she then ran her tongue along the slit on the underside. A couple more swirls, and she took him into her mouth once again, sucking hard, cheeks hollowing with the effort.

Panting now, his hips rocking toward her, he moved one hand to the back of her head, letting his fingers tangle in her hair. He wasn't directing, not even really guiding, just... gently holding her.

As Bella worked him, lapping and twirling her tongue around him, all while she continued sucking, she could feel Edward beginning to tense. It made her own heart rate speed up, knowing it was because of _her_.

She pumped the hand wrapped around him, moving it in time with her mouth. After scraping her teeth very lightly over the tip, she soothed him by running the flat of her tongue around the head, again teasing the slit. Sucking hard, her fist moving in perfect complement to her mouth, Bella sped up her ministrations, sucking earnestly, cheeks hollowed out, wanting to make him feel good, to make him lose control...

"Bel...la," he gasped, tapping her shoulder insistently in what she could only assume was an attempted warning that he was nearing the end. She ignored him, instead intensifying her efforts. Panting and moaning almost continuously, Edward shifted restlessly, his fingers alternately tightening and loosening their hold on her hair as she worked him, pushing him closer and closer toward climax.

Quickening the pace, Bella felt a sense of satisfaction as he gasped, his body arching again toward her as he exploded in her mouth. "Oh fuuuuuck...," he choked out as he came, only gradually relaxing back down to the couch, his hands urging her up on top of him. Bella gagged slightly at the slightly unpleasant sensation of him spurting into her mouth, but she dutifully swallowed, knowing that would earn her some pretty impressive My Girlfriend Kicks Ass points.

"God, Bella...," he breathed as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, his hand stroking her back lazily as his breath slowly returned to normal. Bella placed sweet, soft kisses on his chest as he held her, his heart still thundering beneath her ear.

Finally sufficiently recovered, Edward reached blindly for the box of Kleenex sitting on the end table, and Bella handed it to him with a kiss to his forehead. "I'll be right back," she promised, leaving him to clean himself up which she slipped into the bathroom to give her mouth a little Listerine rinse.

Back in the living room, Edward wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down between his legs. His lips moved against hers tenderly, and Bella smiled, running her fingers through his hair.

"You're incredible," he murmured against her lips before kissing her one more time, then fell back into the cushions, clearly worn out.

Score one for Bella.

Edward could barely keep his eyes open, it seemed, and she couldn't help but feel a little smug over the fact that she was responsible for his blissed out state. Oh sure, it was pretty easy to make a guy happy with a blow job, but the look on Edward's gorgeous face went beyond that. He looked like he could die a happy man.

Bella lay curled in his arms, content to let his fingers trail lazily through her hair. It was a sweet, intimate moment, and she wished it would never end.

So, of course, she had to open her mouth and ruin it.

"Do you want to talk about why your day was so weird?" she asked softly. Her assumption was that it was the Skankzilla attack, and she'd love to hear his take on that.

Hugging her more tightly, he shook his head. "No. It's not important," Edward admitted softly, and that lump suddenly reappeared in Bella's throat.

He wasn't going to tell her.

He wasn't. Going. To tell her.

_Why?_

Countless reasons ran through her mind, and none of them good. Not at all.

Not trusting her voice, she simply nodded in understanding. There was no point in forcing the issue. Clearly he didn't want to share.

For whatever reason.

He was keeping things from her all ready, Bella realized. That… wasn't a good sign.

"Stay?" he pleaded sleepily, the word barely more than a breath against her hair. She didn't answer him, insecurity and doubt gnawing at her gut and making it impossible for her to relax.

Bella waited for Edward's breathing to deepen and steady out, listening to the comforting sound of his heart thumping under her ear. When it seemed like he was finally asleep, she carefully slipped from his arms. Pulling down the blanket he kept on the back of the sofa, she covered him up so he wouldn't get chilled and turned down the sound on the TV so it was just a low murmur in the background. She found a sheet of paper and scrawled a short note letting him know she'd gone home to work on an assignment, just so he wouldn't wake up wondering where she'd gone.

For a moment, Bella simply stood and watched him, barely resisting the urge to reach out and sweep his bangs off his forehead. He looked so peaceful. Even in his sleep, a small smile curled his lips. He was such a beautiful boy… God, how could she _not_ love him?

_Wait… what?_

Her eyes went wide as she realized the truth behind her musings.

She loved him.

Oh, fuck. She loved Edward Cullen.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. This was bad. Very, very, very bad. Especially considering it now seemed like he was keeping things from her…

God. Bella had always figured that she'd end up heartbroken when it came to Edward, but she hadn't realized to what extent she'd be crushed. And as best she could figure, there was absolutely no way to keep that from happening.

Padding towards the door, Bella quickly collected her things and slipped out of the apartment, making sure the door locked behind her. She took a moment to bundle up to face the cold. Maybe the wind would help numb her emotions as well as her toes.

* * *

**_Don't hate. I have a plan, I swear!_**


	20. Chapter 20

**_Wow, what an... interesting reaction to the events in the last chapter! It seems like people fell into one of three groups:_**

**_1. Bella sympathizers/empathizers (even if they wanted to smack her around a bit)_**

**_2. Bella haters_**

**_3. Author lynchers (which is the one I expected most, quite frankly)_**

**_Because I apparently caused serious heartfail, I'm destroying my posting schedule and giving you Chapter 20 a good 4 or 5 days early. Don't ever say I never did anything for you. ;-)_**

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* * *

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Chapter 20

The past week and a half had been a study in patience and confusion for Edward, and he just didn't know what to do anymore.

Bella had become unpredictable and moody – even more so than usual. One day she'd be her usual fun, sweet, playful self, and the next she'd be withdrawn, distant. He wondered if it was school-related, if her classes weren't going well. Maybe she was having a conflict with a professor or a classmate. Maybe something was going on with her mom or dad that she was trying to deal with on her own. But when he tried to be both a good friend and a good boyfriend by talking to her about it, she'd always answer with, "I'm fine."

He wasn't stupid. He knew "I'm fine" was right up there with "whatever" in girl-ese in terms of danger words. It meant that something was wrong, and that if he knew what was good for him, he'd figure it out and fix it.

The problem was, he had no clue what had happened, so he didn't know how to fix it. The first time he noticed something was off was when he woke up alone on his sofa, when he knew damn well he'd fallen asleep with Bella in his arms. He'd hated the feeling of waking up without her; he'd felt empty for the rest of the day, especially after finding the oh-so-warm-and-fuzzy note she'd left for him: "_Sorry, didn't want to wake you. Had to go home and finish an assignment. Talk later. Bella."_

She spent a few nights at his apartment, but not as many as usual. And there was certainly no repeat of the mind-altering blow job she'd surprised him with the week before.

That had been... wow. Just wow. He seemed to say that a lot when it came to Bella and the physical side of their relationship, but their chemistry somehow managed to always take him by surprise.

In the best way possible.

But even that seemed off with them, lately. And he'd be damned if he could figure out what the problem was. He wished he knew, because he'd do anything within his power to fix it. She was giving him nothing to work with, though. No hints, no clues, nothing.

It made him feel helpless, which he hated. With a fiery, burning passion.

Friday night was a group night at the movies, and the jury was still out on whether that was a good thing or not. Bella seemed a little more herself surrounded by their friends, but she was still holding back, keeping herself apart both literally and figuratively.

With time to kill before the movie started, they decided to split up: the girls went in search of frozen yogurt (Edward just didn't get the point - if it wasn't ice cream, why bother?), and the guys headed for the mini arcade.

The girls kissed their respective beaus before sending them off to play games, and Edward was feeling more than a little hurt by the barely-there brush of Bella's lips against his before she followed her friends across the lobby. He watched them as they bee-lined for the Yogun Fruz stand, noting that Bella trailed just slightly behind Alice and Rosalie. He didn't realize he was frowning until Jasper elbowed him.

"What're you lookin' at?"

"Besides three very fine asses walking away from us," Emmett clarified with a grin.

Edward shrugged. "Just the girls." He cast a sideways glance at his buddies, weighing his words before speaking. "Have you guys noticed anything off with Bella lately?"

The smile slipped from Emmett's face with alarming speed, and Jasper considered the question before shrugging with one shoulder. "She's been a bit quiet, maybe. But that's not all that strange for her."

"Why?" Emmett asked, a slightly guarded expression on his face that had Edward instantly suspicious.

"What do you know?" he demanded, and Emmett folded his arms across his chest in defiance.

"Who says I know anything?"

"You shouldn't ever play poker, Em," Jasper suggested lightly. "What's botherin' you about Bella?"

Edward let out a heavy sigh and dragged his hand through his hair. "She's just... she's been running hot and cold. I feel like I'm dating Sybil, and I have no fucking clue which personality I'm going to get."

Jasper whistled softly and shook his head, and Emmett looked worried. "Talk, Emmett."

"When did she start acting strange?" he asked, though Edward had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Last Wednesday."

Emmett sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. "Do you remember anything... _weird _happening that day?"

Brows furrowing in confusion, Edward thought back and tried to pinpoint anything that stood out. Finally, he shook his head. "No. It was just a day."

"Really," Emmett said, clearly skeptical. "You get pawed at by hot chick classmates every day?"

It took a moment, but then Edward's eyes went wide. "Who, Irina?"

Rolling his eyes, Emmett lightly smacked Jasper's arm. "Look who finally got a fucking clue." Jazz just looked at Edward expectantly, totally out of the loop.

"Wait, what does Irina have to do with Bella?"

"What does...?" Emmett shook his head in disgust. "Dude, I thought you were supposed to be smart." Edward couldn't find it within himself to take offense. He just needed to get to the bottom of this. "Think, Eddie, fuck. Why would your girlfriend get upset about some random hot chick getting all up on your jock?"

There was still a piece missing that was keeping Edward from putting things together. "How would Bella even know -" He cut himself off as he considered the only options, and added, "You didn't tell her about it?"

Shaking his head slowly, Edward put things together as Emmett facepalmed.

"So either someone else told her, or..." Oh hell. "Shit. Did Bella actually _see_ that?"

"Live and in person," Emmett confirmed, nodding gravely. "She wasn't a happy Bellarina when I found her in the student center at lunch. We talked about it, though, and I thought she was okay. So, I mean, that might not be what's got her all schizo, but it kinda fits."

"Shit," Edward grumbled. "She came by that night, and I was feeling weird after the Irina thing, and then we got this major performance assignment dropped on us unexpectedly that I was trying to wrap my head around..." Once again, his hand went for his hair, tugging in frustration. "She could tell something was bugging me, and asked if I wanted to talk about it... I told her no. Could that...?"

Jasper groaned and shook his head. "You need to talk to her, man. Figure out if that's it or if it's something else. Whatever, though, you've got yourself a mess with that girl, and it needs fixing."

That wasn't news to Edward. He'd been trying to fix things for over a week - he just didn't realize until now what the root of the problem might be. He still had a hard time believing it could be over that stupidity with Irina. He'd turned her down! What could Bella possibly be mad about? Jealousy made no sense, because surely Bella realized he only had eyes for her.

It just seemed so ridiculous that she could be acting like that over the Irina thing. Nothing had happened! It had to be something more than that... didn't it?

Regardless, he was determined to talk to her. Tonight. It felt like she was slipping away from him, and he couldn't handle that happening again.

**---**

_Flashback_

_Since the whole mess with Bella's prom, things had gone back to normal between them. At least superficially, from Edward's perspective. The way she'd forgiven him so easily, the way she'd kept on as if nothing was wrong (and maybe, in her mind, nothing __**was**__ wrong) was both heartening and depressing. _

_The good? Bella was still his friend._

_The bad? Bella was still his __**friend**__._

_He tried hard not to dwell on the could-have-beens, though, where Bella was concerned. It was too late. In two months – less, now – he'd be boarding a plane and flying practically to the other side of the country. There was a good chance he'd never actually see Bella again once he left._

_Trying to stay in touch with her was something Edward considered and reconsidered, never coming to the same conclusion twice. The fact of the matter was, he cared about her. Too much. And if he was off at college, pining away for the girl who didn't like him back, he'd be miserable. Watching their friendship wither and fade via emails that grew fewer in number and greater in time passing between them would be too hard. And if, on the off chance she did feel the same way about him, he'd be even more miserable not being able to be with her._

_It was just all so fucked up, and he was damned no matter what he did because he wouldn't have Bella._

_So it was with that reality in mind that he gladly agreed to a movie a date with one of the girls from his graduating class. Gianna would be heading to UCLA in the fall, and he knew for a fact there was no expectation of an attempt at a long-distance relationship. It was a just a movie. Just a date -- not the beginnings of anything lasting._

_Unfortunately, though, Edward couldn't let himself enjoy it. No shrinking violet, Gianna had been the aggressor, taking his hand during the movie and even instigating their brief make-out session in the back corner of the dark theater. _

_He couldn't stop thinking about Bella. He felt guilty, as if he were cheating on her. Which was ridiculous, obviously, but the knot in his stomach the entire time his lips were on Gianna's clearly stated that his heart and his brain weren't in synch. Hell, he was starting to doubt that they were even on speaking terms, they were so at odds with each other._

_As the movie ended and they filed out into the busy lobby, Gianna suggested they head back to her place for a swim. Her parents were out of town, she informed him, and her younger brother away at camp, so they'd have the place to themselves. Edward found himself agreeing, though he really didn't know why._

"_Edward!"_

_The sound of his name being shouted above the din of the crowd had his head swiveling, trying to find the source. And when he spotted her, he wished he hadn't._

_Alice was smiling widely, as usual, and beside her… Bella, who wore an indecipherable expression as her dark eyes seemed to bore into him. If he didn't know better, he'd almost swear she looked upset. _

_If there was ever a time for the ground to open up and swallow him, it was now. _

_He felt like he was being caught doing something wrong. Which he wasn't. Bella was his friend, nothing more. He being out with Gianna would mean nothing to her._

_But it still didn't help ease the guilt that threatened to consume him, or the inexplicable embarrassment over the fact that he'd likely had his tongue down Gianna's throat while Bella had been standing in line for her ticket, only several hundred feet away._

_Still feeling decidedly uncomfortable, Edward forced a smile and waved. He made absolutely no attempt to go over and talk to them. He would've cracked under the scrutiny, imagined or otherwise._

_Instead, he tried to hurry Gianna along by ushering her towards the doors. The sooner he was out of the theatre and away from Bella's accusing gaze. _

_Edward's life officially sucked._

**---**

It had been Ladies' Choice for the movie this time, and they'd ended up in some romantic comedy that Edward actually didn't find himself hating. Bella held his hand throughout the show, laughed loudly at the stars' antics, and hadn't protested when he'd leaned over and kissed her during a particularly sweet moment on the screen. She'd even kissed him back, if with a little more reserve than he'd have liked.

On more than one occasion, though, Edward caught Emmett or Jasper casting furtive glances their way, and he hoped Bella was oblivious. She was quiet after the show ended, staying out of the debate about where to go from there.

"I'm getting a little tired," Edward said to her softly. He wasn't lying. Not really. He was tired, just not in the manner he was sure she'd assume. "Wanna just call it a night and head back to my place?"

It was obvious she was hedging, trying to come up with another option. "If you're tired, why don't you just drop me off at the dorm and get a good night's sleep?"

He scowled at the suggestion, and she had the decency to look sheepish. "Please come home with me, Bella," he pleaded gently but insistently, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "There are some things I think we need to talk about."

At once Bella blanched and ducked her head, nodding without looking at him. "Okay."

Tipping her chin up with his forefinger, he smiled encouragingly before brushing a kiss across her lips. "Thank you."

They made their excuses and bid their friends goodnight. Rosalie and Alice seemed blissfully unaware that anything odd was going on, which struck him as bizarre. He would've thought they, if no-one else, would've picked up on Bella's shifting moods. Hell, maybe they had, and Bella had just fed them lines and excuses. Or maybe they knew not to pry. Who the hell knew anymore?

The drive back to Edward's place had been quiet and more than a little tense. He hated it. He hated seeing Bella sitting in the passenger seat like that, quietly staring out the window, narrow shoulders hunched slightly as if in defeat.

He held her hand as they rode the elevator upstairs, not releasing it until they were in his apartment and slipping out of their jackets. Bella still wasn't talking, but he guided her to the couch and watched as she sat in the far corner, legs drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around them.

Protecting herself.

Dragging a hand through his hair, Edward looked at her for a long moment, willing her to make eye contact. But she stubbornly refused.

Heaving a sigh, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and turned his head to face her. He watched her as she fidgeted slightly, fingers alternating between clutching at the fabric of her jeans and curling into a loose fist. There were shadows beneath her eyes that he hadn't noticed before now. She looked… sad, defeated. And he hated seeing that hopelessness on her face.

"Talk to me," he pleaded softly. She was completely unresponsive, and he reached over to place his hand on hers in an attempt to get her attention. "Bella? C'mon, we've never had trouble talking before." Communicating, maybe. Talking, never.

Her teeth were tugging at her bottom lip, and he wanted to soothe it with a kiss. He just hated seeing her like this. So much.

"What do you want me to say?" she wondered quietly, still not looking at him.

"I want you to tell me what's going on. One day you're fine, the next distant and shutting me out, and I can't figure out why." He tried to catch her eye, but she was staring staunchly at her bent knees.

Her snort of laughter caused his jaw to clench. And Melancholy Bella stepped into the wings, allowing Bitter Bella to take center stage. That was a quick – and unfortunate – switch, because it instantly rubbed him the wrong way.

"Bella… God, if this is about that girl in my music history class –"

"Maybe it is," she told him, cutting him off and looking him in the eye for the first time since they left the theatre. "So what? And nice to know Emmett can keep his mouth shut."

"He only told me because he saw I was going crazy trying to figure out what was going on with you. Don't get pissed off with him."

"Fine," she snapped, sitting up straighter all of a sudden. "Okay, yeah, she's a big part of it."

Edward felt a muscle jump in his jaw. "In what way?"

"Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Edward blinked. Okay, now he was getting angry. This was a side of her he'd never seen before, and he didn't have a clue how to handle her. He was intimately acquainted with snarky, sarcastic Bella and her ability to verbally flay anyone masochistic enough to engage her in a verbal sparring match. That was how he was used to seeing her when she was angry or upset. But this... this harsh, bitchy, venomous Bella was new.

And he didn't like it one bit.

"Are you serious?" Her cold glare was all the answer he needed. "First of all, hypocrite much? You didn't bother mentioning to me that you _were eavesdropping_ on me, so you were keeping something from me, too." Something flickered across her face, possibly guilt, but it was gone too quickly for him to tell for sure. "Second, this. _This_,right here, is why. Because I know you, and I knew you'd overreact, and since _nothing fucking happened_, I figured it wasn't worth the aggravation."

"Are you sure that's all it was?" Bella challenged, and he really didn't like the direction this conversation was headed.

"What, you think I didn't tell you because I wanted to take her up on the offer?" He barked out a bitter laugh. "I thought you knew me better than that, Bella. I've got a lot of flaws, I'm the first to admit that, but being a cheater isn't one of them. And why the hell would I want her when I've finally got you? You're the only girl I've wanted for ages."

"Yeah, you made that crystal fucking clear when you stood me up for prom," she sneered. "Oh, and when you left for college without a fucking word. That just _screamed_ how much you cared. I don't know _how_ I missed it."

Of course, she'd bring that up. Of. Course. Fucking hell.

"How many times do I have to apologize?" Edward demanded, his voice getting louder despite his every effort to stay calm. He'd never had much of a temper, and it generally took a lot to get him going. But when he _did_ get angry, he got _angry_. "I've told you I don't know how many fucking times that I'm sorry. You tell me you forgive me, but then you throw it back in my face. That's not fair, Bella. Either you forgive me or you don't. Either you can get over my fuck-ups and move on or you can't. I've done everything I know how to convince you I want you and _only_ you, and I don't know what else you want from me. So which is it? Either believe me or not, but make up your fucking mind because I can't take much more of this."

"Oh, I'm so fucking sorry this has been so hard on _you_," Bella spat at him, launching herself off the couch so she could tower over him. "Because it's been a fucking _treat_ for me!"

"Jesus, Bella, just _talk_ to me," he shouted in frustration, rising to his feet so that it was _him_ looming over _her_, now. "This can't just be about Irina –"

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes. "_Irina_," she mocked. "Of course."

He did his best to ignore her and just continue on as if she hadn't interrupted. "This can't just be about _that_. It's not rational –"

The way her eyes bugged out at that told him he'd definitely chosen his words poorly.

"Not rational?"

"As a matter of fact, no. You haven't been acting rationally lately. At all," Edward informed her angrily. "It's driving me fucking crazy because _I don't know what to do_!"

"You can't do anything," Bella shouted, hands flailing has she gestured wildly.

He took a step back and bowed his head, dragging both hands through his hair as he attempted to regroup. This was going downhill in a hurry, and he had to figure out a way to salvage it.

"Does this have anything to do with what happened back in Phoenix, with that asshole you dated?" Her mouth fell open slightly before she snapped it shut. Ah-ha… he might be on to something. "I already told you I'll wait as long as you need me to. If you've been feeling pressured, I'm sorry, I haven't meant to –"

"This isn't about sex," she exclaimed, cheeks flushing in what he assumed was embarrassment.

"Then what_ is_ it about?" He was very quickly reaching the limit of his self control, and they were now shouting at each other. "We can't fix this if you don't trust me enough to _talk_ to me! We'll be over before we even had a fucking chance, and I don't want that. So why won't you give me that much?"

"Because!"

"Because why? Because why? I need some answers, Bella, because you're driving me fucking crazy, here."

"Because I'm scared, okay?" she yelled back, her eyes growing unnaturally bright. "I'm fucking _scared_!"

"Scared of _what_?" He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation before raking them through his hair once again. "Scared of being happy? Scared of taking a chance? Scared of trusting this? Jesus Christ, Bella –"

"I'm scared of _you_!"

She might as well have slapped him. Instead of letting the hurt rule, though, he channeled his anger, demanding, "_Why_?"

"Because I love you!"

Before he could fully process what she'd said, Bella clapped both hands over her mouth and stared at him in horror, wide-eyed and more terrified than he'd ever seen her. Under different circumstances, her reaction might've been funny. But the tears that suddenly spilled down her cheeks as she shook her head in denial very nearly brought him to his knees. Instantly, his anger was extinguished, and he felt an overwhelming sense of both joy and sadness.

"Bella –"

She shook her head frantically and took a step away from him. "No," she pleaded from behind the hands still covering her mouth. "Just… don't. Don't. Please."

"Bella," he tried again, more gently this time, but that seemed to make things worse. Spinning on her heel, she made a break for the door, but Edward was right on her heels. There was no way in hell he was letting her get away. Her body tensed as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her back flush against his chest and burying his face in her hair. She whimpered, and it broke his heart. "Don't leave. Please. Don't go," he whispered.

"I have to," Bella argued, a choked sob causing her to tremble, and he could feel his own eyes starting to burn.

"No, you don't. You have to stay here. Stay with me, Bella. Please."

She stopped struggling, but she kept shaking her head. Edward didn't loosen his hold on her for an instant, knowing she'd run. "Did you mean it?" His voice was vulnerable, and he knew it, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it. Because with one word, she could crush him.

For a long moment, Bella was silent, and then finally, she nodded.

His chest swelled with hope. "You mean it? You love me?" he clarified.

"Yes." The word was barely a whisper, but he heard it loud and clear.

"Good," he replied, hugging her tight. "Because I love you, too." A sharp inhalation as she froze in his arms was the only indication that she'd heard him. "I do, Bella. I love you."

Slowly, so as not to scare her, Edward turned her around to face him. Tears were still rolling down her flushed cheeks, her eyes and the tip of her nose red from crying. But to him, she was beyond beautiful. Her big, expressive dark eyes were wide and searching as they met his. He answered her unasked question with a nod before brushing her lips in the gentlest kiss they'd ever shared. "I love you," he whispered, "and I'll say it as often as I need to for you to believe it." He kissed her a second time, and this time she responded, kissing him back every bit as gently. "Say it," he pleaded, voice hoarse and tight with emotion. "Say it again. _Please_ say it again. I need to hear it."

"I love you," she whispered brokenly, the words puffing warmly against his mouth.

He laughed. It was a ridiculous, almost hysterical laugh that bubbled up from deep within, his pure unadulterated happiness over the moment making it impossible to keep it inside. It seemed it was contagious, though, because soon Bella's lips were twitching into a smile, and her body shook with silent laughter.

"Do you have any idea how stupidly happy I am right this second?" Edward wondered aloud, cupping her face with both hands and wiping the tears from her still-burning cheek.

"Maybe," she relented, smiling softly, almost as if in embarrassment.

Kissing her one more time, he finally took a step back, letting his hand slide down her arm until he could grasp her hand. With a gentle tug, he led her back towards the sofa. He sat and pulled her down into his lap, his arms banding around her waist possessively, chin resting on her shoulder.

"Okay, so now that we've established that we're both blind fucking idiots who are stupidly in love with each other," he joked, and Bella laughed softly, "can we get back to what we were talking about before? Maybe this time we could try talking about it like two reasonable adults, instead of both of us losing it?"

With a sigh, Bella nodded and began picking at his shirt.

"Why were you so upset that I didn't tell you about what happened with Irina?" Edward asked gently. "And she's nobody to me, just so you know. I'd barely even spoken to her before that day."

Bella nodded slowly. "Because I thought if you were keeping that from me, there was probably other stuff you weren't telling me," she confessed.

"But, Bella," he began, brow furrowed in confusion, "you heard exactly what happened. I let her know I wasn't interested. At all."

She nodded again. "I know. But why didn't you tell me?"

Edward sighed. "I didn't think it needed to be rehashed. It happened, it was annoying, it's done." He looked up at her from beneath the shock of bangs that fell across his forehead. "And maybe because I had a feeling you might not take it too well." She winced. "Was I wrong?"

"No," she admitted grudgingly. "But… if you were in my shoes, wouldn't you want to know if some super hot guy was hitting on me like that?"

She had a point. He probably _would_ want her to tell him about stuff like that, but not because he didn't trust her. "Okay, I see your point," he relented. "But I honestly didn't think it was a big deal – definitely not worth the risk of freaking you out. But if it was bugging you that much, why didn't you just call me on it? Ask me flat-out about it?"

Bella grew silent again, clearly considering her answer. He knew these kinds of conversations were hard for her, but now that she knew, without question, where she stood and what she meant to him, maybe she'd be a little more forthcoming.

"I was afraid of what you might say," she finally admitted.

Sighing again, Edward wracked his brain to come up with some solution. They were going around and around in circles, and they couldn't keep it up. Something had to give.

"You don't trust me," he said sadly.

Opening her mouth to protest, Bella shut it again and looked at him for a long minute. "I do. Mostly," she assured him. "I'm just… fuck, Edward, you don't need me to tell you how much baggage I've got. You _know _I'm fucked up. And I'm trying _so_ hard to let go of the bullshit and move on and trust you completely…"

"But you're still scared."

She nodded and dropped her gaze again. "I'm still scared," she repeated softly.

Hugging her to his chest, Edward sank into the sofa cushions and rested his cheek on the crown of her head. He knew Bella well enough to know she'd be more comfortable talking about this if she didn't have to look him in the eye. "Are you still angry over the shit I did before? Prom, leaving for school, that stuff?"

"No," she admitted, "but I can't forget about it, either. I mean… it happened. It hurt like hell. I'm not _mad_, but…."

"Do you think you can ever let that stuff go?"

"I'm trying," she repeated.

"You know I feel terrible, right? I feel like absolute shit for ever hurting you. I had no idea…" He knew it wasn't a good excuse, but it was true. If he'd had any inkling of her feelings for him back then, he would have done everything so much differently.

"I know. And I'll get there eventually, yeah. But right now I've got this stupid nagging voice in the back of my head reminding me about it and telling me I'll just end up getting hurt again, so maybe I should cut my losses –"

"Is that what you want?" Edward asked sharply, interrupting that train of thought.

"No!" Sitting up, she looked up at him and held his gaze. "No fucking way, Cullen." Her lips curled into an adorable little grin. "Especially not now that I know you… y'know."

"Love you?" he offered with a smirk.

"Yeah." Bella grinned shyly. "That."

They shared a slow, sweet kiss before Edward finally pulled away. "I told you before, I'm going to make up for hurting you," he reminded her. "I don't know how, I don't know when, but I will. I promise."

"Y'know, you make it really hard to stay mad at you," she mused, nose crinkled slightly in mock annoyance. "It's really fucking irritating."

He grinned hugely. "Yeah, but you love me even though I'm fucking irritating." Bella shook her head, and Edward nuzzled her tightly-clenched lips with his own, coaxing them to respond. "Admit it, Swan."

"Maybe," she relented with a chuckle, kissing him back unhurriedly as she threaded her fingers through his hair. From the feel of it, she was alternating between trying to smooth it down and gently tugging it up in all directions. The kiss slowed and stopped, but neither of them pulled back. They simply smiled against each other's lips, breathing the other in.

"I really do love you," Edward insisted quietly, and he felt her smile widen.

"I'm really glad," she replied, and the shyness in her voice made him grin. "And I really do love you, too."

After a series of moves that would make a gymnast proud, Bella managed to twist and lean backwards far enough to grab the TV remote without climbing off Edward's lap. They settled on an old rerun of _The X-Files_, though neither really paid much attention to the television. Spooned up together, her back against his front, they simply lay there peacefully, silently reassuring each other through a gentle caress, a chaste kiss, or whispered words that brought a smile to the other's face.

By the time Edward felt Bella's breathing deepen, it was well into the wee hours of Saturday morning. Being extra careful not to wake her, he slipped from behind her and scooped her into his arms. She shifted and muttered something unintelligible, but didn't open her eyes. When she'd settled, Edward padded down the hall to his bedroom, and laid Bella on what had become her side of the bed.

Leaving her alone only long enough to get ready for bed, he was surprised when he returned to find that she'd gotten herself under the blankets. And, from the look of it, she'd commandeered one of his T-shirts to sleep in.

God _damn_ but he loved it when she wore his clothes. Call him a caveman if you will, but he didn't give a flying fuck.

He switched off the light on his dresser as he passed it and slid into bed next to Bella. Lifting an arm in silent invitation, he didn't even have to wait for her to snuggle into his side, head resting on his chest. "Hmmm, that's the stuff," he murmured contentedly as he wrapped his arm snugly around her. "Go back to sleep, Bella. I'm sorry I woke you up."

Inhaling slowly and exhaling in a gust, she wriggled even closer to him, hooking her leg over his. Edward's free hand slipped under the duvet and settled it just above her knee, stroking soft circles on her thigh with his thumb. After several minutes of silence, he thought Bella might have fallen back asleep. But then a subtle shifting of her hips against his thigh indicated otherwise.

He tipped his head slightly and kissed her forehead, leaving his lips there as he gradually increased the diameter of the circles being traced on her soft, smooth leg. His hand made its way leisurely up her thigh towards her hip, never ceasing the stroking of his thumb. The only evidence he had that she was still awake was the slightly shallow breaths that brought her breasts into fuller contact with his chest, and the very subtle twitching of her fingers as they lay on his stomach.

Edward worked his way higher, under her shirt and up over her hip to her waist. He took his time there, allowing his fingers to explore its enticing curve before sliding around and settling on her lower back. He never once picked up the pace, allowing himself to enjoy the feel of her ridiculously soft skin beneath his fingers. She shuddered occasionally, just a slight tremor that rippled through her when he discovered an especially sensitive patch of skin.

There seemed to be more than a few of those.

When Bella's hand slipped under his shirt and began stroking his chest, he figured she wasn't in any hurry to go back to sleep. He freed his own hand from under her shirt, and gently grasped her chin, tilting her face up until he could press his mouth to hers. Their lips moved together lazily, tongues advancing and retreating at random.

Eventually, Edward found his hand back under her shirt, fingers tripping lightly along her ribs until they reached her bare breast. He cupped it gently, his thumb finding her nipple and stroking it to attention, earning a soft moan from Bella. He spent several minutes paying homage there before making his way back down. He wrapped his hand around her hip and bum and pulled her more tightly against him before slipping his hand beneath her underwear to stroke the soft swell of her ass.

"Love your skin," he breathed against her lips as he gave her bum a gentle squeeze. She replied with a quiet hum and a shift of her hips, pressing back into his hand. "So soft."

Never moving his lips from hers, he hooked his thumb over the waistband and slowly worked her panties down until they caught at the top of her thighs. Gently, Edward rolled her onto her back and turned his attention to the front, pulling her underwear over her hips and down her legs, hooking them with his foot when they were low enough and kicking them aside.

When her hand made a move for the front of his pajama bottoms, he caught it gently and guided it up, anchoring it in his hair as he kissed her more hungrily. He didn't want any distractions.

Tonight was about Bella.

Edward's hand dove back under the covers, settling on her hip. His thumb returned to rubbing gentle circles on her skin, and for a while he ignored the subtle, barely perceptible shifting of her hips as he touched her everywhere but the one spot she clearly wanted him to. He loved that she was responding to him so well, that simply stroking her belly and hips could cause her breathing to speed up, her heart racing against her ribs.

It was obvious she wanted him, wanted him to touch her, but she wouldn't ask, wouldn't do anything overt to make her desires clearly known. She didn't even part her legs, clasping them instead at the knees and moving them together as one.

When his thumb finally snuck lower, pressing in circles at the very top of her mound, her breath hitched and her hips rocked sharply. Moving lower and lower, Edward continued to tease her until she was panting against his mouth and her hips were moving almost ceaselessly. Brushing through the soft, short hairs, he continued torturing her, trailing lightly down until his fingers met her clenched thighs.

Gently, he forced his hand between her legs, massaging her inner thigh as best he could and wordlessly encouraging her to relax and let him make her feel good. It didn't take much before she cooperated, parting her thighs so that he had room to maneuver. Finally, Edward was able to stroke along her hot, swollen lips, and she shifted restlessly. He knew he was likely driving her crazy by this point, so close to where she needed him to touch her, but still he teased her ruthlessly.

He sucked Bella's bottom lip between his own at the same moment as his fingers finally slid home. Moaning loudly, she rocked against his hand as her legs fell open completely, surrendering to his touch.

God, she was hot and slick and hot and wet and hot and she was working her hips against his hand, shifting so that his fingers slipped inside her, where it was even hotter and wetter… _Oh god_… Now it was Edward's turn to moan as he imagined how good she'd feel surrounding him as he thrust into her, her legs wrapped around his waist, urging him on...

His dick was throbbing painfully, trapped as it was between them, the movement of her hip as she rocked into his hand maddening. Too much stimulation. At that rate, he'd reach his climax before she did, and that was hardly his goal.

Pulling his lips from Bella's was physically painful, and he immediately latched onto her throat. He sucked just firmly enough that he knew a faint pink bruise would still be there in the morning, marking her as his.

Edward's fingers continued to plunge in and out, occasionally pulling out completely to focus on that tiny, magical mass that managed to elude too many men (though how they could possibly miss it, he had no idea). She was getting closer, he knew, but he didn't want it to end yet.

Kissing his way down her neck, he kissed her chest through her shirt, seeking out her covered nipples and sucking, then biting them gently until Bella whimpered and bucked her hips, becoming more demanding.

Edward worshipped her body through the annoying T-shirt, sliding himself further down the bed, getting lower and lower. The shirt was bunched at her waist, now, and he feathered kisses across her quivering belly. He could feel her pulse if he left his lips pressed to her for long.

He could _smell_ her, that unique, musky scent that told him how much she was enjoying what he was doing to her, how much she wanted him. And fuck if that wasn't one of the biggest turn-ons of his young life.

Licking her hipbone caused Bella to jump, but he focused his fingers on her clit to keep her distracted. He kissed her mound, and, again, she jumped. She was tensing, but he wasn't sure whether it was because she was getting closer to her release or because she was anticipating his next move.

Deciding it didn't matter, he pushed his fingers back inside her as his tongue darted down and swirled around her clit.

"Fuck!" Bella half sat up as she cried out, and while she'd tightened around his fingers, he knew it wasn't the grand finale.

"Relax," he crooned, sliding his fingers out of her, kissing each thigh before flattening his tongue against her center. Whimpering in surrender, she lay back down, covering her eyes with her forearm.

From her reaction, he suspected this might be a first for her. If it was, Edward was going to make _damn_ sure it was a memorable experience. Judging by how close she seemed, though, he wouldn't have a whole lot of time to impress her.

From his place between her legs, he peered up her body, watching the way her face relayed the pleasure she was experiencing at his hands – and his mouth. Eyes hidden by one arm, the other hand clutching at her hair, tugging in a manner that looked like it would be painful. Writhing beneath his mouth and hands, she serenaded him with whimpers and moans, and a litany of gasped oh-gods, intermingled with a variety of curses.

Curling his fingers inside her, Edward stroked the slightly rough spot he found there, pushing her higher still. When her utterances dissolved into a near-constant keening, her hips pushing desperately against his mouth, he sealed his lips around her clit and sucked hard.

With a choked cry her hips bucked wildly, body shuddering and spasming all around him, under him, against him, _in_ him, the slight vibrations reaching his tongue as he continued stroking her, helping her enjoy every last nanosecond of her orgasm. When it seemed she was spent, he carefully withdrew his fingers and lowered his mouth to lap lovingly at her entrance. With a yelp, Bella gripped his head and shoved him off, snapping her legs shut as she collapsed onto the mattress. Panting, sweating lightly, hair an absolute disaster, she was more gorgeous than ever.

Edward pressed a final kiss to her stomach before he flopped down next to her wearing what he was sure was a Cheshire cat grin as he watched her slowly come back to herself. Moving her arm, she squinted at him with a mock glare. "You're evil," she informed him as her lips curled into a soft, satisfied smile.

"Thank you," he acknowledged with a nod. Sitting up, he yanked his shirt over his head and gave his face a cursory wipe-down. The lingering taste of her in his mouth wasn't the least bit offensive to him, but falling asleep with a sticky face would make for a less than pleasant snuggling experience for both of them. When he turned back towards her, Bella's eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling slowly.

Apparently he wore her out, he realized smugly. Which was fine. He really wasn't looking for reciprocity tonight.

They had the whole weekend.

* * *

**_There. Better? I *told* you to trust me! ;-)_**

**_On a completely different note, I've noticed a whole lot of new readers lately - people who have suddenly put this story on alert or added it to their favorites recently. So, welcome! I'd love to know how you found MIA (i.e.: whether a friend told you about it, if it was listing in a community on _****_or LiveJournal, etc)._**, so if you feel like sharing, please drop me a line (or mention it in a review). **_I like to be able to thank people who make a recommendation and send new readers my way. :)_**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Cull-en..." His name was a broken, drawn-out sigh as she arched her neck, making it easier for him to drag his lips against her skin.

"Swa-an," he mimicked, and Bella could feel his lips curve into a smile against her throat. Her hands rested on his waist, and she struggled to keep them there rather than let them roam.

"You should be," her breath hitched as he pressed his hips against hers, and she clutched at his shirt, "practicing." Though as Edward nipped along her jaw, she was having a really hard time remembering why she was protesting.

"I _am_ practicing." His voice rumbled deeply in his chest, and Bella's hands found their way to his hair. "I'm practicing making you feel good. It's very important, and you're distracting me, so shush." One of his hands slid up her side and cupped her breast through her sweater, causing her head to loll back against the wall with a soft thud.

"Piano," she corrected with a gasp. "You're supposed to be practicing," Bella moaned softly, "piano."

Edward's hand loosened on her breast and his fingers began dancing across her chest. The other hand slid down and began lightly drumming her thigh. "Okay, now I'm practicing _piano_," he informed her. She realized then that the movements of his fingers weren't random, as she'd first thought; he really was playing his song on her body. His thumb stretched and up and just barely brushed where the seam of her jeans disappeared between her legs, and Bella whimpered, thrusting her hips forward for more attention. This earned her a sexy chuckle as Edward claimed her lips in a hot, deep kiss.

It would be so easy to lose herself in his kiss, in his touch, in the feel of his hair between her fingers, his tongue teasing hers... but she had to be strong. "Edward, stop," she whined, not wanting him to stop at all. "You have to practice, and I have to get to class."

Breaking the kiss with a groan, he let out a huff of annoyance and rested his forehead behind her on the wall. "I hate it when you're right," Edward grumbled before standing up straight. He took a step away from her and ran his hands through his hair in a futile attempt to straighten it. Bella just wanted to lick him, he looked so sexily rumpled. "I'll see you after the concert tonight, right? We're still doing dinner with the gang?"

"Of course," Bella assured him with a roll of her eyes. Tonight was Edward's mid-term performance recital - a mini-concert held in the large theatre on campus for the first and second year music students. He was nervous and excited, and everyone in their inner circle was going in a show of moral support. "So just relax, practice your songs for another couple of hours, and you'll be abso-fucking-lutely brilliant." She stood up on her toes to peck his lips. "As always."

Not letting her get away so easily, Edward dove his hands into her hair and turned the light peck into a deeper, hungrier kiss that left them both slightly dazed. Bella recovered first and smacked his chest lightly. "Knock it off, Casanova," she chastised with a chuckle. "I've gotta go. I'll see you after the show."

Edward sighed and offered her an adorable pout that nearly did her in, but he nodded and the pout morphed into a crooked smile. "Love you."

Bella smiled, cheeks turning pink as they always did at his declaration. "Love you back," she assured him in shy voice before slipping out of the practice room. Realizing she was short on time, she hurried through the music building and out into the quad, almost jogging so she wouldn't be late for her next class.

In the weeks that had passed since The Great Breakthrough, as Bella thought of it, things between her and Edward had been wonderful. Beyond wonderful, in fact. Edward was being a picture-perfect boyfriend: attentive, loving, sweet, considerate, understanding, romantic. He told he loved her at least a half dozen times a day. It was still a little difficult for her to say it back, but she was getting there.

And she did love him. So much so that it scared her.

Scared Bella either lashed out or retreated, and she'd been doing both to Edward in the days following Skankgate. Even though he'd done nothing to make her doubt his commitment to her, nothing to make her question his motives, she'd gotten bogged down in painful memories, remembering how he'd hurt her, knowing it would be exponentially worse this time around because she was so much more emotionally invested. It wasn't fair to him, and she knew it. Hell, she'd known it at the time, but she hadn't been able to keep her emotions in check. If Edward hadn't pushed her to talk it out (well, yell it out, technically), she probably would have turned her fears into a self-fulfilling prophecy, pushing him away until he'd gotten so fed up he left her. Again.

Which, quite frankly, was exactly what she'd been convinced would happen after he suggested they go back to his place early to 'talk'. Everybody knew what those words meant, and Bella was sure he was going to tell her it wasn't working.

She wouldn't have blamed him.

Thank god he had the patience of a saint. Bella didn't know what she'd done to deserve him, but she was certainly glad she'd done it.

Edward was now so attuned to her that he could recognize the first signs of her starting to retreat into her own head, and he'd gently coax her out and make her talk to him. Those instances when she was overcome by doubt and fear were becoming much less frequent, though, and she was sure they were both relieved.

Physically, things were progressing well. Edward had surprised the hell out of her that first night he'd gone down on her, but in the most wonderful way. It was probably the most incredible experience of her life… once she got past the embarrassment of his face being buried _there_. It somehow seemed so much less dignified, so much more intimate than a blow job. That had been a pretty big step for Bella, letting him do that to her. It spoke of a level of trust she'd never experienced with anyone before.

She was very quickly nearing the point where she was prepared to take that final step and officially consummate their relationship. It was a technicality, at this point, and she couldn't get over how patient Edward was being. She almost felt guilty. But she liked to think that the anticipation would make it just that much better when it finally _did_ happen.

Classes done for the day, Bella sat on her bed, nose buried in her short story textbook, trying to keep her mind on the Melville tale they'd been assigned to read for tomorrow's class. She didn't want to be distracted tonight, and definitely didn't want to have to rush home to do any work.

An annoyingly familiar ring tone blaring from her cell phone pulled her from her reading, and she snatched it from her bedside table. "What's up, Jake?"

Only silence greeted her.

"Jake?" she queried, wondering if maybe the call had dropped. God knew cell reception in Forks and, by extension, La Push, left a lot to be desired.

"Hey, Bells."

His tone was wrong. All wrong. She set down her book and sat up straight. "Jake? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. No. _Fuck_. Bells…" Oh, this couldn't be good. "You need to come home."

Bella's brow furrowed. "Why?" More silence, but this time it was oppressive, heavy with a sense of dread she didn't want to contemplate. "Jake?"

"There's been an accident," he choked out, and Bella felt goosebumps pimple her arms. "It's Charlie."

The room lurched around her, and she struggled to find her voice. "Dad?" she croaked, unable to say anything more.

There were muffled voices on the other end of the line, the sound of movement, and then a new voice. "Bella?"

Billy.

"Yeah…"

"Can you come to the hospital in Port Angeles? They're taking your dad into surgery –"

"Surgery?"

"Yeah," Billy confirmed with a sigh. "His cruiser was hit by a logging truck on the one-oh-one. Happened out in Olympic, near Fairholm." Bella couldn't speak. She was having a hard enough time processing what she was being told. "Bella... you should come."

"I'll be there," she whispered, unsure if Billy had heard her before she hit the 'end' button. Barely able to see her phone's keypad through the tears welling in her eyes, her hands shook so badly that she couldn't hold steady long enough to dial. Taking a deep breath, she let her thumb hover over Speed Dial number two: Edward.

_The concert… oh fuck, the concert… _No, she couldn't call him. His performance tonight was worth a good chunk of his final grade. There was no way she could screw that up for him.

_But I need him..._

And she did. Desperately. But she was done making immature, selfish decisions where Edward was concerned. He needed her to step up, and she'd start now.

Still trembling horribly, Bella chose number one on her speed dial instead, and wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks, waiting as precious seconds ticked by_. Please answer, please answer, please answer…_

"Hi, Bella!"

"Al…" was all she could manage before a sob burst from her throat. "Al… I need you."

Within half an hour of the call, Alice and Jasper were whisking Bella off to Port Angeles, leaving Emmett and Rose behind to attend Edward's concert, with strict instructions not to tell him anything about what was going on until _after_ he'd performed. They'd protested, insisting that Edward would want to be there for her, but Bella was adamant. She couldn't let him screw up his grade just to sit in a hospital waiting room with her. He could come afterward.

Jasper was behind the wheel, while Alice sat in the back with Bella, trying to clam her. Bella didn't speak, just let Alice hold her as she stared out the window. She had no clue how badly Jasper was breaking the speed limit, but she suspected it was by a large margin. Even though it seemed like the longest drive of her life, her watch told her they'd made it in a little under two-and-a-quarter hours, which was even better than Edward's record. Jasper let her and Alice off at the main entrance while he went to find parking.

Inside, Jake was pacing restlessly in front of the reception desk, and bolted for Bella as soon as he spotted her. He swept her up in a bone-crushing hug, which Bella returned mechanically. "C'mon," he said softly, leaving his arm around her as he steered the girls down the hall. "Dr. Cullen called in a favor and got us a private waiting room."

Bella had absolutely no clue where Jake was leading them, and wouldn't have been able to find her way back to the entrance if her life depended on it. There were more people in the small room than she'd been expecting: Billy, of course, and Sue, but also Seth, who had his arms around his mother, and, most surprisingly, Leah… who approached them with a sympathetic smile, and gripped the hand that Jake did not have clutching Bella's shoulder.

That was… odd. Bella may have been out of it, but not so clueless that she didn't realize just how strange that was. She made a mental note to ask Jake about that later.

The other Clearwaters descended on them, first Seth, who hugged her so tight she stopped breathing for a moment, and then Sue drew Bella away and wrapped her in a maternal embrace. "He's still in surgery," Sue said softly. "They'll let us know as soon as there's any news."

"What happened?" It was Alice, stepping up and rubbing Bella's back soothingly.

"They're still not sure," Billy admitted, his expression pained. "They think the truck driver lost control, but he's still unconscious so they can't ask him. The truck was weighed down with a full load, and somehow t-boned the cruiser. Ran them both off the road and into the tree-line."

Bella felt sick. The room started to spin, and Bella struggled to free herself from Sue's arms. "I… I need to sit down," she said as she took an unsteady step towards the row of seats. Strong arms wrapped around her just as her knees started to give out, and she glanced up gratefully at Jasper. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he replied with a gentle smile.

Alice and Jasper book-ended her in the uncomfortable plastic chairs, Jasper with his arm around her shoulders, and Alice resting her head against Bella's, holding her hand and offering the occasional word of comfort. As much as she appreciated them being there for her - and as much as she needed them - she wished Edward were there.

Two and a half hours later, Charlie was still in surgery. Dr. Cullen had stopped by to report that the things were going well, from what he'd been told, but that was all the news he had. While she appreciated the update, Bella was trying very, very hard not to lose hope. She couldn't lose her dad. She loved her mom and they had a great relationship, more friends than mother and daughter, but Charlie was… well, they had a special connection. They were so much alike, in so many ways, and even though they'd only had a chance at a close father-daughter relationship for the past few years, Bella felt he understood her better than Renee ever could.

She couldn't lose him.

**---**

_Flashback_

_"Bella, you really should come with us," Alice said for the umpteenth time, practically bouncing in her chair at the Swans' kitchen table._

_"Can't, Al, you know that," Bella replied, also for the umpteenth time. Taking the roasted pork chops out of the oven, she then checked the potatoes and sweet corn to make sure they were done. "Dad, dinner!"_

_Charlie appeared moments later, sliding into his seat with a loud grumble of his stomach, which caused Alice to giggle. "Smells real good, Bells," he announced with a crooked smile at their dinner guest._

_Well, referring to Alice as a guest was simply untrue: Bella often called her the daughter Charlie had never known he'd had._

_"Can you at least think about it?" Alice tried again._

_Bella sighed and set the platter of chops on the table. "Fine."_

_"Think about what?" Charlie asked, stabbing a pork chop and plopping it on his plate._

_"I want Bella to come on vacation with me," Alice answered, bowling right over Bella's claim that it was, "Nothing."_

_Charlie's eyebrows climbed on his face as he looked from Alice to Bella. "What kind of vacation?"_

_"We're renting a beach house near San Francisco," the only non-Swan in the room quickly explained, clearly sensing an ally in the Chief. "We're going for two weeks, and we've got the space, and my parents would love it if Bella came with us. It wouldn't cost her a cent."_

_A thoughtful expression on his face as he chewed a bite of pork, he chased it down with a sip of his beer. "Why aren't you going?"_

_"I have to work," she pointed out._

_Charlie shrugged and slathered butter over his potatoes. "Ask for some time off. You've always been a good worker. I'm pretty sure Tom wouldn't mind."_

_"It's okay with you if she comes?" Alice asked, flashing the bright eyes and huge smile that never failed to turn Charlie into a marshmallow._

_"I think some time taking it easy in the sun before you start your senior year's a real good idea," he admitted, looking at Bella in a way that her shifting uncomfortably in her chair. _

_When Bella had made the decision to leave bright and sunny Phoenix to let her mom enjoy newlywed life with Phil (and no matter how much Bella liked him, she couldn't quite bring herself to call a guy barely ten years her senior her stepfather), she knew it would be an adjustment to live in rainy Washington, but the extent of the rainfall in Forks exceeded her expectations. Sure, every summer she'd spent two weeks staying with her dad, and every summer it rained almost every single day of those two-week visits, but she'd somehow managed to convince herself that it was just coincidence. Nowhere could possibly be that rainy and overcast on a regular basis, could it?_

_Clearly, the answer was a resounding 'yes'. How every single citizen in the town wasn't permanently suffering SAD from the lack of sunshine was beyond her. Maybe they were, actually, and they were all hopped up on happy pills. That would explain a lot. Because after just a month of the never-ending drizzle, Bella had been ready to pack her bags and run off to Mexico while everyone else around her seem completely unfazed._

_So when she allowed herself to slip into a funk - the same funk she was currently in - after the whole prom mess and seeing Edward with that beautiful girl at the movies, she was more than happy to let Charlie believe she was just depressed over the rainier-than-usual weather. _

_And even if he didn't believe her, he knew better than to pry. He was awesome that way, knowing when to try to make her talk and when to just leave her alone. But when he started to give her that penetrating look of his, the same one he had trained on her now across the table, Bella knew he was on to her. Even if he didn't know the exact reason, he'd figured out that it was more than just the weather._

_Damn cop instincts. It was just wrong for him to use them on his own daughter._

_"Really?" Alice squealed excitedly. "Oh, Chief, you're the best. Thank you!" She was out of her chair and throwing her arms around him before he had a chance to block her. Charlie looked at Bella for help as he patted Alice's back awkwardly._

_And actually, now that it was out there and didn't look like she had much of a choice in the matter, Bella was kind of stoked. Maybe taking a two-week break would be just what she needed. And maybe it would help her mentally prepare for when it would be a whole hell of a lot longer than a couple of weeks before she'd see Edward again._

_Yes, she was pathetic. Because in spite of his propensity for dickishness, she was still crazy about him._

_"I guess I'm going," Bella agreed with a shrug, bracing herself as Alice turned to her and threw her arms around her. _

_"We're going to have such an amazing time, Bella," Alice promised with a grin. And over her dark little head, Bella could see her dad watching them with a small, satisfied smile._

_Sneaky Chief._

**---**

Nearly four hours after they arrived, Bella insisted Alice and Jasper go get themselves some dinner. With obvious reluctance, they agreed, promising to bring her back something. Not that Bella thought she'd be able to eat, but she appreciated the gesture.

Legs drawn up to her chest in her seat, arms clasped around them, she rested her forehead on her knees and closed her eyes, trying to will the surgeon to appear with good news. It had been too long. It shouldn't take that long, should it? The longer the surgery, the more things could go wrong…

Someone was crouching in front of her, hands stroking her hair, down over her back, her shoulders. Lifting her head, she found herself staring into her favorite pair of green eyes. She didn't know whether he'd pulled her forward or she'd launched herself at him, but the next thing she knew, she was wrapped up in Edward's arms, faced buried against his neck as he held her tight. The tears she'd thought had dried up some time ago reappeared, and she cried quietly as he simply rocked her gently, pressing gentle kisses to her hair.

For the first time since the phone call from Jake, Bella was able to believe that things just might turn out okay.

Finally cried out, she sat back slightly and wiped at her wet cheeks, only to have her hands battle Edward's as he gently brushed the tears away. Over his shoulder she caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall, and her brow furrowed. It was only nine o'clock. He shouldn't be here…

"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice thick. "You're supposed to be at the recital… Rose and Em -"

Edward shook his head and cupped her cheek gently. "I saw Rose and Emmett before it started. I asked where you were, they told me, and I got in my car and came straight here."

Bella's eyes went wide. "But… but your _grade_ –"

"Doesn't matter," he finished for her. "_You_ matter, that's all. This is the only place I needed to be." Edward kissed her forehead sweetly.

She stared at him in disbelief for a long moment. He'd essentially just accepted an F in his performance class. His entire GPA would be brought down, which would affect his chances of getting into the grad school of his choice, which could end up dictating his career possibilities –

And he'd done it for _her_.

She wondered if Edward truly understood the magnitude of what he'd done, or if he'd just reacted impulsively.

"Edward –"

"Stop," he told her, firmly but gently. "I don't care about the class. I'll deal with that later. I love you. I wanted to be here for you. It was my choice, okay?"

Reluctantly, Bella nodded and wrapped her arms around him again. "I'm really glad you're here," she confessed in a whisper. "I wanted to call you, but I didn't want to fuck up your recital."

"You're not fucking up anything," he whispered back. "I'm exactly where I need to be."

She must have fallen asleep like that, her head tucked in the crook of his neck, his warm body enveloping her, because the next thing she knew, Edward was speaking into her ear, calling her name quietly.

"Bella? Hey, c'mon sweetheart, wake up," he urged as she slowly came to. "There's news on your dad."

Those words had the same effect as a bucket of cold water being dumped over her head. Bella scrambled out of Edward's embrace, stumbling a bit as she unfolded her cramped legs, before turning to face the scrubs-clad man standing on the other side of the room. Edward stood and kept his arms around her, offering both physical and emotional support.

"… went well and he's been moved to recovery," the surgeon was explaining to everyone else. The Blacks and Clearwaters were joined by Alice and Japer, as well as Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward's father. He went on to catalogue a host of injuries, which Bella's mind simply shut out, incapable of correlating them with her father's condition.

"Can we see him?" Sue asked hopefully.

"He's still unconscious," the doctor said with a shake of his head. "And until he's been moved out of the ICU, I'm afraid visitors are limited to immediate family only."

All eyes turned towards Bella then, and she shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. "You're his daughter?" the doctor asked, and his eyes reassured her with their kindness. She nodded mutely. "Would you like to see him?" Again, she nodded, and the doctor whose name she didn't know motioned her to follow him.

Casting a helpless, scared glance at Edward, he brushed her lips with his and smiled. "It'll be okay. I'll be right here when you get back, I promise."

Teeth tugging at her lower lip, Bella nodded and followed after the man who'd saved her father's life.

The image of Charlie lying in that hospital bed, head bandaged, face cut and bruised, the rest of his injuries mercifully hidden beneath layers of gauze and blankets, was something that would haunt Bella for the rest of her life, she was sure. The beeping symphony of the machines monitoring him, helping to keep him alive, was piercing and terrible, and she wished she could close her ears and not hear it.

She dragged a chair over to the side of the bed and perched on the edge of the seat. Only the hand to which his IV was attached was above the covers, and Bella gripped it gently, not wanting to cause him any more pain.

"Hi, Dad," she whispered, feeling stupid and awkward and not having a clue what to do or say. The doctor had told her to talk to him, to let him hear her voice, but carrying on a one-sided conversation wasn't as easy as some people might make it seem. "You look… terrible." Bella chuckled and shook her head, knowing he'd find her honesty amusing if he could hear her. "Like you were hit by a truck. Which… is what happened to you, actually. Not sure if you remember that or not."

There was no response. Not that she expected one, but she'd hoped. The machines kept up their steady tones, indicating no changes to his vitals. That was good… but not. Because they'd tell her if he was waking up.

"The doctor says you're gonna be okay," she continued, feeling her throat tighten as her emotions tried to get the best of her. "You'd better be, that's all I have to say. Because Sue and Billy are in the waiting room, and they'll be really pissed if you don't wake up soon. Jake, Leah, and Seth are here, too. So are Alice and Jasper, and some of our other friends – Emmett and Rosalie. They're great. You'll really like them."

Bella was quiet for a long time, just watching her father's face for any sign he heard her. "Edward's here, too," she finally continued, feeling both disheartened and brave, knowing she was likely talking to the walls. "He skipped out on a big concert-thing to be here for me. He'll probably fail the class, but he says he doesn't care…" Her thumb stroked the back of Charlie's hand, carefully avoiding the needle from the IV. "I don't know what I'd do without him. He's… god, he's… I really love him." Her cheeks reddened at the admission, even though nobody was around to hear. "And the stupid thing is, he loves me, too. Weird, I know, but… he really does. I don't think I really got that until he showed up here tonight. I mean, it's his _future_ he's fu-… screwing with, and he's doing it for _me_." She shook her head and continued stroking his hand.

There was a soft knock at the door, and a nurse poked her head in with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Isabella, but we need to let him rest now."

Bella nodded and turned back to her father. "Sorry, they're kicking me out, but I won't go far," she promised. "I need to be here when you wake up so I can give you hell for scaring me like this." Standing up, she looked down at the man she'd always looked up to, and her throat tightened once again. "I love you, Dad. Just… please get better. I need you to be okay." Leaning down, she pressed a careful kiss to an unmarred part of his cheek. Then with a gentle squeeze, she released his hand, settling it back down on the light blue blanket.

Edward was leaning against the wall just outside Charlie's room when she emerged. He took a step towards her, and she made a bee-line for his waiting arms. "My dad talked to Dr. Castaldi – that's who did the operation – and he says it looks good," he told her, voice low and gentle. "Once Charlie wakes up, they'll be able to get a better idea of how he's doing, but it sounds like he'll be fine."

"I don't want to leave until he's awake," Bella said, voice muffled against his chest. "I need to know he's okay."

His lips touched the crown of her head, and she could feel him nod. "We'll stay, it's okay."

Pulling back slightly, she looked up into his sweet, loving face. "You'll stay with me?" she asked, looking for confirmation.

"Of course," he assured her, crooked smile on his lips. "I'll sleep in those god-awful plastic waiting room chairs for as many nights as you need me to. I'm not going anywhere."

He'd said those words before. Many times, in fact. But this time? This time, she _truly_ believed him.

Back in the waiting room, everyone was still there, talking quietly in small groups. Emmett was clearly beside himself with the need to hug her, restlessly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Edward dropped his arm from around Bella's shoulders and motioned to her with a smile. In two long strides, Emmett was across the room and picking her up in a crushing hug.

"How you doin', Bellarina?" he asked softly as he set her back on the ground.

She shrugged awkwardly. "Better now that it looks like he'll probably be okay," she admitted. And it was true. The relief was incredible. But she was still scared, still couldn't relax. Not until he was awake and stable. "Thanks for coming, Em." She peered around him at Rose and smiled as genuinely as she could manage under the circumstances. "Both of you."

"How does he look?" Sue's voice was timid but earnest.

"Bad," Bella admitted with a wince, but then turned to Billy with a slight smirk. "Even worse than that time he slipped getting out of your boat and face-planted onto the dock." The older man chuckled, and even Jake joined in, remembering that occasion. They'd teased Charlie about that for years.

Jake, she noticed, was still holding Leah's hand.

Curiouser and curiouser…

"You guys don't have to stay," Bella offered, looking around the room at the faces of her friends and extended family. "Go home and get some sleep. I'll call when there's news."

"Are you staying?" Alice asked from her spot curled up on Jasper's lap. Bella nodded and knew what was coming. "Then I'm staying."

Apparently that was the room-wide consensus.

Pillows and blankets were gathered with the help of the nurses on duty, and everyone made themselves comfortable. Well, as comfortable as they could, in the torture devices that passed for chairs.

Bella settled in the seat next to Edward, and he curled his arm around her, drawing her head to his chest before draping a blanket over them both. "He'll be okay," he whispered against her hair, his hand rubbing her arm. "Your dad's a cop – cops are fighters. He'll be fine."

Closing her eyes, Bella nodded and draped her arm across Edward's torso. She was still contemplating her response when exhaustion took her, dragging her into a deep, mercifully dreamless sleep.

Hospital sounds began to infiltrate Bella's sleeping mind far too early for her liking. She tried ignoring them for a while, but only succeeding in drifting in and out of a restless sleep for another hour or so. Dr. Castaldi stopped in while most everyone had stepped out to the cafeteria for some breakfast, leaving only Bella and Edward in the waiting room.

"Someone's asking to see you," he told Bella with a pleased smile, and she nearly wept in relief.

"He's awake?" Bella asked hopefully. "He's okay?"

The doctor nodded. "He's awake and already sick of us - he's asking when he can go home."

"When can he go home?" Edward wondered, arm around Bella's shoulders and squeezing her.

"We need to keep him for a few more days, but if he continues to heal, he should be home by the end of the weekend."

And this time, Bella couldn't contain the small sob of relief, and she turned to bury her face against Edward's chest, embarrassed by her emotional display. She felt his lips in her hair, and took a deep breath before lifting her head again.

"Can we see him?"

Dr. Castaldi nodded. "He's been moved from the ICU, so you can both come, if you'd like."

Edward looked at her, making it obvious that he wouldn't be offended if she wanted to go by herself, but Bella took his hand and squeezed it. "Come with me."

They followed the doctor down the hall and into a small private room. Her dad was awake and watching the sports highlights from the night before. Besides the contusions and bandages that were visible, he really didn't look all that worse for wear.

"Y'know, Dad, if you wanted me to visit, you could've just _asked_," Bella said, trying for levity, but she could feel her eyes burning with tears. "This is a bit extreme, don't you think?"

Charlie turned to them, clearly not having noticed them come in, and his smile was sheepish. "Sorry, Bells."

Despite the fact that Bella knew he'd never been big on the whole display of affection thing, she couldn't help herself. Crossing the room in a half dozen quick steps, she threw her arms around him - carefully - and hugged him for all he was worth. She nearly started bawling when she felt his arms come up to hug her back just as tightly.

"I love you, Dad," she whispered, knowing he'd get uncomfortable if she said it loud enough for anyone else to hear.

He swallowed loudly and lifted one hand to rest on the back of her head. "Love you, too, Bells," he replied, his voice just as quiet.

After a moment, Bella stepped back and shook her head at him. "You look like crap," she joked.

"Hey, take it easy on your old dad," he chuckled, feigning offense. Glancing over her shoulder, he spotted Edward and nodded. "Thanks for being here for her, Edward."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be, sir," he assured Charlie, and Bella could see that he really, truly meant it.

Finally, she allowed herself to believe.

* * *

_**So, I've had more than a few people ask me if we're near the end of the story. The answer is... kinda. It's looking like things will wrap up around Ch 27 or 28, but don't quote me on that. So it's coming, but not too quickly.**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know I'm late with this update. My only excuse is that Real Life ate my brain. :(**_

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* * *

****Chapter 22**

There was nothing like a crisis to bring the important things in life into clearer focus.

When Edward had run into Emmett and Rose before his recital as he'd slipped out to the student centre for a quick bite to eat, he'd been able to tell simply by their expressions that something was wrong. As soon as he'd asked about Bella's whereabouts, he'd known something was _really_ wrong, because his friends shot each other helpless looks before stammering out contradictory answers.

It had actually been Emmett who'd caved first, though Edward suspected Rosalie wouldn't have been far behind. At first, Edward had been furious – and hurt – that Bella hadn't called him as soon as she'd gotten the news, but when Rose patiently explained Bella's reasoning, he understood. Disagreed, but understood. Because he likely would've done the same thing.

That didn't change the fact that he'd run back to his apartment just long enough to pack an overnight bag before hitting the road, Emmett and Rosalie following not far behind in Emmett's Jeep. Edward had left a hurried voicemail for his professor, hoping that he'd get it before the recital was scheduled to start. If not, so be it; Edward would deal with the fallout whenever he got back.

As Bella had fallen into his arms at the hospital, sobbing and clinging to him like he was her lifeline, he'd known, without a doubt, that he'd made the right choice. Consequences be damned.

Edward's parents had opened their home to not only Bella, so she didn't have to drive back and forth between her father's place in Forks and the hospital, but to their friends who had made the trip down to show their support. Even Alice had taken a guest room with Jasper rather than stay with her parents, so she could be closer to Bella.

Bella, for her part, seemed more than a little overwhelmed by the way her friends were rallying around her and offering support in any way they could. She was clearly touched beyond words by how much they cared, and Edward had noticed her getting choked up on more than one occasion. Each time, he'd stepped in and gracefully extricate her from the situation before she was reduced to even more tears, which he knew she'd hate herself for when all was said and done.

Assuming he continued to do as well as he was to date, Charlie was scheduled to be released in two days, so he could continue his recovery in the comfort of his own home. Edward had very nearly panicked, purely for selfish reasons, when Bella had announced she was prepared to stay indefinitely to make sure he was taken care of, and if that meant taking the rest of the semester off, she would. But Sue had assured her that Charlie would be fine – that they'd already talked about it, and Sue would be moving in until Charlie was back on his feet again.

Sue Clearwater was quickly becoming one of Edward's favorite people - in no small part because without her, he was sure Bella would have dropped out of U Dub to take care of her dad. Which, quite frankly, would have killed Edward. He'd have to find a way to make it up to the older woman.

With a mischievous grin, Bella had tried to bet Edward twenty bucks that Sue would never move out. It was a sucker's bet. Anyone with eyes could tell Charlie and Sue were crazy about each other.

What surprised Edward most was that that Bella showed absolutely no signs of jealousy over the obvious bond between her father and this new woman in his life. It had been just Charlie and Bella for so long, one would have thought she'd feel threatened. Instead, she just seemed happy that Charlie had finally found someone after being hung up on Renee for far more years than was healthy.

After spending more than 48 hours straight at the hospital, Edward had finally managed to drag Bella back to his house and force her to get some sleep. She'd been asleep almost before her head hit the pillow, so when he woke up alone the next morning, the grey late morning light trying vainly to penetrate the curtains, he was surprised. He'd expected her to sleep well into the afternoon.

He lay in bed for several long, lonely moments, trying to clear the sleepy fogginess from his brain, when he heard the shower in bathroom turn on. The mental image of Bella standing naked and wet in his shower was more than enough incentive to have him scrambling out of bed and towards the bathroom door.

_I wonder…_

The worst she could do was say no, he figured.

Stripping down to his boxer briefs, he took several deep breaths before working up the courage to knock. When he received no answer, he knocked again, louder this time, and opened the door just enough that he could stick his head in.

"Bella?" He heard her little squeak of surprise and barely suppressed his laugh. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. Just wanted to see if you needed anything."

"I think I'm okay, but thanks," came her reply, slightly muted by the falling water and the walls of the large shower enclosure.

Stepping further into the room, he approached the shower quietly. He couldn't see any detail through the frosted glass, just the shadow of her form as she moved. It was still enough to have him tenting his underwear.

"Are you sure?" he asked, keeping his voice gentle so as to not startle her further. "I could wash your back…"

He saw her silhouette still, and he held his breath waiting for her reaction. Finally, after it seemed he'd been standing there for hours, Bella turned and reached out for the edge of the door, sliding it open just slightly. Her face appeared, the rest of her concealed by the frosted glass. Her big eyes scanned him quickly, from head to toe and back up, as she gnawed her lower lip.

She looked so beautiful, so vulnerable and innocent, it made his heart clench. Reaching out, he cupped the side of her face and brushed his thumb over her cheek as he smiled at her. "It's okay if you don't –"

By now, Edward really should've known better than to try to predict her response to any situation. But she still surprised the hell out of him by stepping back, further into the shower, and opening the door in what he could only assume was invitation.

"Are you sure?" he made himself ask, even as his thumbs hooked into the elastic waist of his underwear and began pushing them down his hips.

The exasperated sigh that came from inside the shower made him grin. "Just get your ass in here before I change my mind." He could hear the smile in her voice, regardless of the words.

Stepping out of his boxer-briefs, he kicked them aside and practically leapt through the opening in the shower door, sliding it shut behind him.

Bella's back was to him, her face turned up towards the shower head as she ran her hands over the back of her head, rinsing the shampoo out her sodden hair and sending suds swirling around the drain at her feet. Her hair was darker, longer, and straighter under the weight of the water, plastered to her back in intriguing little tendrils. His eyes followed the rivulets of water as they ran down her torso, past the delicate curve of her waist, over the dimples at the very base of her back, trailing down her absolutely glorious ass.

Throughout their relatively brief time together as a couple, they'd seen each other in varying stages of undress, but never completely nude. He'd been unprepared for his first sight of Bella. Over the years, he'd seen his fair share of naked girls, but in his mind, none of them could compare to the one before him now.

Moving closer to her, he couldn't keep his hands from following the trail the water was creating, letting his fingers dance lightly across her skin, warmer than usual from the shower. Bella started slightly at his touch at first, but quickly relaxed into the caress. Hands sliding up and over her shoulders, he slowly drew Bella to his chest, simply holding her there and glorying in the feel of her skin against his. She took a step towards him, effectively trapping his erection between his belly and her lower back, and he swallowed a moan as he tightened his hold on her.

"How're you doing?" he asked softly, letting his lips brush the shell of her ear.

"Okay," Bella replied quietly, letting her head rest against his shoulder. Her eyes were shut, a small smile curling her lips. "Better _now_. And I think I'm a little bit in love with your shower. It's incredible."

He couldn't disagree. A good six-by-six, with multiple shower heads lining the walls that pulsed and massaged like the jets in a Jacuzzi, Edward had taken it for granted growing up, not quite realizing how good he'd had it until he went away to the University of Chicago and discovered the horror that is the college shower stall. Those things made a phone booth seem roomy.

"It's one of the things I love most about coming home," he admitted, slowly running his hands up and down her arms. Edward lowered his voice even more and nipped at her ear. "And having you in here with me is one of my oldest fantasies."

Her body tensed slightly and she turned, their chests now pressing tightly together as she peered up at him through her wet, spiky eyelashes. "You've fantasized about me?"

Edward blinked at her, then barked out an incredulous laugh. "Are you kidding? Christ, Bella, if you only knew some of the things I've dreamed about doing to do... doing with you..." He trailed off with a shake of his head, then ducked and brushed his lips against hers. Without hesitation, she kissed him back, and he dragged his hands over her smooth, wet back, until he reached her bum. He cupped it from the sides, letting his long fingers curl around her and stroking that oh-so-sensitive spot right where thigh curved into ass. As he'd known she would, Bella jumped, inadvertently pressing her hips against his, resulting in a delicious friction for his still-trapped cock.

This time, he couldn't suppress the moan, and he begged Bella to open her mouth, to grant him entrance to deepen the kiss. She did so with a gasp, her hands running up his arms, over his shoulders, to tangle in his wet mop of hair.

Her slippery body moving against his was sheer torture, but in the best possible way. If it were up to him, neither of them would ever leave the shower again, and they'd certainly never wear clothes. Ever.

Oh-so-reluctantly, they disengaged, both of them breathing notably heavier than before. "I know you've already done your hair, but... can I wash the rest of you?" Edward asked, his voice barely more than a rumble in his chest. Nodding silently, Bella agreed, and took a step backward so she was under the main spray.

For a long moment, he simply allowed himself to look at her, to take in the innocently erotic image she presented. Her hair flowed over her shoulders, now, the ends licking at her pebbled nipples. His gaze drifted lower, down her stomach to the short swath of dark hair between her legs. Personally, he didn't understand the current trend of Brazilians - he wanted to be with a _woman_, not with a pre-pubescent girl. He wanted to caress curves and breasts, to trail his fingers through soft, curly hair that concealed the intimate beauty and mystery of a woman.

"You have no clue how gorgeous you are, do you?" Edward stated, not really making it a question. Her flushed cheeks and lowered eyes gave him the answer he needed.

Turning to the bench along the back wall of the shower, where she'd set all her toiletries, he picked up her body wash and squirted a liberal amount onto her shower puff. The delicious scent of strawberry filled the air, wrapping around them like a steamy blanket.

"So this is why you always smell so good," he deduced, approaching her again and dipping the sponge under the spray to build up a lather.

"It's my favorite," Bella admitted.

When he looked away from the mesh puff, he was pleased to note Bella was looking at him, her gaze dragging slowly up his body. The way she gnawed on her bottom lip as she looked at him made him grin. "Like what you see?"

Her eyes instantly flashed to his, and her cheeks darkened over the embarrassment of being caught openly ogling his naked body. "Actually, yeah," Bella admitted cheekily, once again surprising Edward. It was amazing how she could go from shy and demure to saucy and sexy in the blink of an eye. Bella always kept him guessing, in an absolutely wonderful way.

Laughing delightedly, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her firmly, licking her lips teasingly before pulling back. "God, I love you," he told her, still chuckling. "Now behave and let me wash you."

Smiling with exaggerated sweetness, Bella traced a circle above her head, apparently indicating a halo and her angelic intentions. Edward snorted in amusement and shook his head as he went to work.

He took his time, slowly dragging the foaming puff over her shoulders, down her arms, and paying special attention to her breasts. Apparently, Bella was enjoying the attention as much as he was enjoying lavishing it on her, because her eyes were closed and a small smile played at her lips as he covered her body in strawberry-scented lather. Working his way further south, Edward drew the sponge over her abdomen, grinning to himself when her breath hitched as he moved even further down. He barely brushed her mound before moving on, and he glanced up to see her slightly furrowed brow and parted, pouty lips.

Feeling rather smug, he straightened and turned her around, repeating the same path over her back. If he had a thousand years with Bella, he didn't think he'd ever get enough of her, enough of touching her, of holding her, of hearing her breath catch at the touch of his lips, of hearing her sometimes nonsensical murmurs during the night.

Edward knew he probably should be embarrassed by the way his erection bobbed enthusiastically with every move he made, brushing against her as he continued to run the mesh sponge over her body, and insistently pleading for more. But he simply didn't have it in him. He wanted Bella to know what she did to him, the effect she had on him, how beautiful and sexy and arousing he found her.

"Do you need to shave your legs?" he asked softly, smoothing the puff over the lower curve of her ass. She nodded silently, and Edward gently guided her back toward the bench. He took a seat and lifted one of her slender, shapely legs - legs that shouldn't seem as long as they were, considering their owner wasn't all that tall - and set her foot carefully between his spread knees.

Finally cluing in to what he had in mind, Bella shook her head, placed a hand on his shoulder for balance, and tried to pull her leg from his gentle grasp. "You don't have to -"

"Bella," he said softly, moving his hand up her calf, massaging along the way, "just let me take care of you, okay? You've been doing so much for your dad the past couple of days, you deserve a little pampering. Please?"

Their gazes held for a moment, then Bella drew her lower lip between her teeth and nodded silently. Permission granted, Edward lathered up her leg, from ankle to hip, then picked up the purple disposable razor and went to work. With the careful precision of a would-be surgeon, he drew the blade up her leg. He was especially cautious around her bony knee, not wanting to nick her pale skin. Then he worked his way up, allowing his fingers to reach out and dance along her silky inner thigh as he shaved the outer. His pinky finger juuuuust brushed her outer lips, teasing, earning him a sharp intake of breath and a soft whimper.

Gently setting her foot down, Edward tilted his head up and pressed a brief, feather-soft kiss between her legs, and the hand still gripping his shoulder tightened. "Edward..." Bella's voice was low and filled with both warning and want.

"Bella," he replied, grinning against her belly as he peppered kisses up to her navel. "Other leg."

Obeying, she shifted her weight and allowed him to lift her leg and settle it between his knees. He repeated the same routine, lathering and shaving and gently teasing. When he was done, he once leaned in, placing a kiss on her pubic bone, causing her to shudder slightly.

"Do I get to wash you, now?"

The question caught him off guard, but he wasn't about to complain. Hands sliding up and gripping her hips, he held her still and kissed her belly again. "You can do anything you want to me," he promised, looking up at her with a suggestive grin. As he'd hoped, Bella laughed.

"Let's start with getting you cleaned up, and we'll take it from there."

Edward happily let her tug him to his feet and back under the spray of the shower. Closing his eyes in anticipation of her touch, he smiled when he heard his shampoo bottle lid open with a sharp pop. It made a rather rude noise as Bella squeezed some of it into her hands before snapping the lid shut. He nearly started to purr when her fingers plunged into his hair, gently massaging the shampoo into a lather. She was struggling to reach, he could tell, so he turned towards her and slowly lowered himself to his knees, looping his arms around her waist and hugging her close while she worked.

"I love your hair," she told him softly, and he kissed the rib just below her right breast.

"I love _your_ hair," he countered, reaching up with one hand to twirl a wet lock around his finger. "I was sad you'd already washed it by the time I got here."

"Next time." He could hear the smile in her voice.

Edward shifted his weight, the unforgiving tile of the shower floor making his knee ache. Even though it had been mostly healed for a while, the scars from the surgery remained, as did some tenderness when he moved a certain way. He could no longer bring himself to regret the injury that had ended his football career, for without it, he never would have met Bella. And he'd go through that agony a dozen times over to ensure they ended up exactly where they were at that moment.

When the last of the shampoo was rinsed clean, Bella urged him to his feet. He stood, trailing kisses up her sternum to her throat. She made a noise in the back of her throat that caused Edward to grin, and she slapped his shoulder lightly.

"Behave," she ordered, though there was little seriousness in her voice.

Taking the bar of soap from her holder, she built up a good lather and began running the bar - and her hand - over his body. As he had, she started with his chest, her fingers seeming to trail over each and every taut muscle. She had him stand still, moving instead around him, ensuring his torso was thoroughly cleaned. When her delicate, soapy hands reached around and grasped his erection, Edward's eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head. All he could do was grunt softly and thrust into her hands, pleading for more.

Her strokes were slow and even, sliding from base to tip, swirling over the head, and then back down again. Fuck, if she kept that up, he wasn't going to be able to last long. Between the lubricant of the water and the soap, and the way her incredibly tempting, naked body pressed against him from behind, he was growing impossibly harder, embarrassingly quickly.

Distraction. He needed a distraction.

Turning in her arms, Edward cupped her jaw in one hand and crushed his lips to hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth and drawing hers forward. Bella's moan turned into a mewl as he slipped the fingers of his other hand between her legs, into her folds, finding her hot and swollen and wet for him.

As the pulsing jets of water continued to massage them, he got an idea.

Turning them around so that Bella was now the target for most of the shower heads, he continued kissing her, massaging her, sliding first one then two fingers inside her. Reluctantly, Edward released her and spun her around, pulled her back against him, his cock nestled between her cheeks. His hand dove back between her legs, and her head lolled back against his shoulder.

"Ungh," she groaned, wiggling her hips against him and driving him crazy. He thrust against her ass, creating the perfect friction to make him moan into her neck. Edward slowly, carefully moved them forward, closer to the wall and pulsating jets. Reaching around Bella, he fumbled with one of the lower heads, angling it until he could feel it pulsing against the hand pumping in and out of her. He withdrew his fingers to test his idea, grinning proudly when she inhaled sharply when the water hit her.

"Does that feel good?" Edward whispered in her ear, rocking his hips against her as she nodded eagerly.

His right hand slid down her stomach, settling just above her pubic bone, his fingers sliding down either side of her center and parting her lips, baring her clit to the pulsing water. Bella's body jerked with the new sensation and she whimpered loudly as her hands sought out something to brace herself against. Well familiar with that need, Edward walked them closer to the wall, and she slammed her hand against the tile, her mouth open in a silent cry as the intensity of the spray increased with their proximity.

Edward kissed her neck as he continued rocking against her from behind, his erection pinned between them and growing even harder thanks to the delicious friction caused by their bodies pressing so close together.

He slid his other hand between her legs from behind, under her leg and sliding first one, then a second finger inside her. Bella clenched around his digits, and he moaned into her neck, wishing it was his dick instead of his fingers. Her inner muscles were fluttering and tightening more quickly as he continued working her, complementing the thrumming spray that was blasting relentlessly against her clit.

Her whimpers gradually merged together, turning into one long, incessant, wordless plea for release, and Edward increased his efforts, inching his thumb towards her nub and circling it teasingly, feeling the way the water was working her. His hips were moving almost frantically against hers now as he struggled to keep his hands working, trying to bring her over with him.

Bella reached behind her and grasped Edward's ass, digging her short nails into him as her brow furrowed, mouth open in a silent scream as her body tensed, then convulsed against him - around his fingers, against his hand, against his desperate cock. Teeth clenched, Edward tried to draw out her orgasm as long as he could, as he rubbed against her ass, finally finding release with a drawn-out groan as he thrust hard against her one final time.

He didn't move for a long moment except to turn Bella around, away from the jet when it just became too much for her. Breathing hard, clinging to each other, they loved each other through light, delicate kisses and caresses, until the water began to cool.

"You know they're going to lynch us if we used up all the hot water," she muttered against his chest.

"I'd say it's worth it," Edward said with a grin, kissing her top of her head. "Because that was... incredible."

"Hmmm," Bella agreed, and he could feel her cheek move as she smiled. "Now I'm _really _in love with your shower." Edward snorted out a laugh and swatted her butt lightly. "And I love you."

"Love you back," he vowed. He didn't know that he'd ever tire of hearing her say those words, or of saying them himself.

Edward took Bella and Alice to the hospital, giving the others a chance to take their time getting ready and to have a nice, leisurely breakfast. Or lunch. Or whatever they wanted to call it, considering the hour. The trio stopped by Charlie's room, chatted for a few minutes, and then Alice gave Edward's arm a pointed tug.

"We're going to head down to the cafeteria," she explained, and Edward simply arched an eyebrow at her. They were? "Can we smuggle something back for you, Chief?"

Somehow, when Alice used the title, it sounded more like a term of endearment than anything else.

"I'd kill for some bacon and eggs," he admitted after glancing at Bella. Edward chuckled at the disapproving scowl on her face.

"Dad -"

"Cut your old man some slack, huh, Bells?" Charlie pleaded. "The slop they try to tell us patients is food makes your mom's cooking look good."

Bella blanched and shuddered. "Okay, okay, get him whatever he wants," she relented.

Grinning, Alice cocked her head at Bella. "What about you? Coffee, at least?"

"Sure," Bella replied, and Edward was pleased to see that much of the tension he'd seen in her the past few days - the tightness around her eyes and mouth, the stiff set of her shoulders - was easing. "Coffee and... surprise me with the food."

Edward gave her a quick peck, savoring the scent of strawberries that would now always remind him of that morning in his shower, then followed after Alice.

They got themselves coffee and some breakfast, deciding to eat quickly before heading back to the room, giving Bella and Charlie some time alone together. Stabbing a grape in her fruit salad, Alice nodded at him.

"So, I had an ulterior motive for getting you to come on a food run with me," Alice informed him. "I've been wanting to have a little chat with you, but Bella always seems to be around, so...."

"Uh-oh," he muttered, eyeing Alice warily as he sipped his coffee.

"No, it's nothing bad," she assured him. "It's good, actually." Her smile did much to reassure him. "I just wanted to thank you."

Edward's brow furrowed. "For?"

"For the way you've been with Bella," Alice explained. "You've been so good to her – good _for_ her. Not just through this whole thing with Charlie, because god, you've been _so_ awesome, and I know Bella appreciates it more than you'll ever realize. But just in general. I've never seen her so happy."

"Really?" The hope in his voice was pathetically obvious, but he didn't care.

"Definitely," she confirmed. "It's obvious how much you care about each other."

"I love her," he told her, point blank. "I think I did for a long time before I actually realized it. I'm talking _years_."

Alice's head titled to the side slightly, grey eyes boring into his green. "You liked Bella before? Like, back in the Java Jive days?"

He nodded and took another sip of his coffee. "Yeah."

For a long moment, Alice simply stared at him. Then, in a move so quick he might've missed it if he hadn't been watching her so closely, she punched his shoulder. Hard. Hot coffee sloshed out of the mug and spilled onto the table, narrowly missing his lap. "Fuck, Alice! Trying for castration through hot coffee?"

"You _like_-liked Bella and you still pulled those asshole moves on her?" Alice demanded. "What the hell, Edward?"

"I know, I know," he groaned, running his free hand through his hair.

"I had no idea that Bella felt that way for you back then," Alice admitted with a sigh, her anger dissipating as quickly as it had appeared. "But if I had? I would've hunted you down for the shit you put her through. It was bad enough when I honestly thought you guys were just friends, and you'd been a thoughtless but mostly-harmless dickhead, but…." Her eyes were sad as she looked up at him. "Do you have _any_ idea what she went through after prom?"

"She told me what happened that night," he confirmed with a nod. "And I know you saw her crying. I feel like such shit –"

"No," Alice cut him off, "not that night. I'm talking about the weeks after. What she had to put up with from our charming classmates."

A sense of dread settled into his chest, and he shook his head. This would be bad, he just knew it.

"Lauren and Jessica and their merry band of hags made sure everybody knew that Bella had been stood up by her prom date. God, Edward, some of the things they said to her... Thank god we were almost done for the summer, because I don't know if she could've put up with much more of that," she continued, and Edward's stomach tied itself in knots as he set his mug down with a clunk. It hadn't even occurred to him…

_Of course it didn't, asshole. You were too worried about your own fucking rep to think about Bella's._

"They dubbed her 'The Undateable Bella Swan' – y'know, like 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown'? Pretty clever for that group, actually, considering their combined IQs probably equal that of a box of hair. But yeah, they wrote it all over her locker in permanent marker, that kind of crap. When prom rolled around the next year, it started all over again. Stupid school's so small they have nothing better to do with their time. And we both know Bella doesn't really care what most people think about her, especially not the Barbie Brigade, but how could that _not_ have an effect?"

Bella's disdain for so many of the other girls at her school was well-known and was actually something he'd admired. Her conviction of self, her individuality, her 'fuck 'em' attitude had drawn him to her. She'd always been so different from any other girl he'd ever known.

**  
---**

_Flashback - approximately 2 years ago_

_"Do you like it?" Jessica asked, posing in front of Edward as he wiped down the counter. He looked up and stared at her, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Apparently the blank look on his face wasn't the response she was looking for. "Edward! My hair. I got it cut and colored."_

_"Yeah, Edward," a voice behind him mimicked with alarming accuracy. "She got it cut and colored. I mean, __**duh**__, like, how could you __**not**__ notice?"_

_Glancing over his shoulder he saw Bella looking at him from the dishwasher, which she was busy unloading. The smirk and the 'you dumbass' expression she wore had him snorting and trying not to laugh out loud._

_The sarcasm was lost on Jessica, for she apparently foolishly believed she had an ally against the stupidity of the male species. "See? Even __**Bella**__ noticed."_

_"Seriously," Bella continued, tone still openly mocking. "Even __**I **__noticed." Her tone changed as she deadpanned, "And we all know that I'm totally oblivious to mindless, unimportant, girly bullshit like that." _

_This time Edward couldn't keep from laughing, though he tried hard to smother it with a fake cough._

_"Totally," Jess agreed. "I mean, Bella's barely even a girl."_

_Standing up, Bella made a show of looking down her own top and cocking an eyebrow. "Hunh. I guess these are just for show, then. Or an unfortunate growth of some kind."_

_A sick part of Edward wanted to take a peek for himself to assess the situation, but being smacked upside the head wasn't something he was striving for tonight._

_It was only then that noticed Bella's hair. It had looked curlier and a bit shorter, and there were more highlights in it that he'd ever seen before. "Swan, did you do something different to your hair?" Bella's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she nodded. _

_"Yeah, Alice made me go with her to the house of horrors she calls a salon and get it cut," she confirmed with an exaggerated shudder._

_He smirked at her obvious aversion to beautifying. "Red highlights, too?"_

_"Why yes, Edwina, red highlights, too," Bella mocked, but it was lacking the scathing edge she'd used when making fun of Jessica._

_"It looks really nice," Edward told her genuinely, and grew amused as her cheeks flushed pink._

_"Shut up, Cullen," she muttered before returning to her task of putting away clean plates and mugs._

_He was almost surprised when he turned around to find Jessica still standing there, hands on her hips and looking more than a little put out. "Hello? We were talking about __**my**__ hair, not that ratty mop of Bella's."_

_"Actually, Jess, I think Bella's got great hair," he corrected with a charming smile. "Didn't you know most guys like long hair on girls?" His gaze flicked pointedly to her barely shoulder-length, very fake-blond, blunt-cut._

_"It's so they have something to grab onto during sex," Bella offered helpfully before ducking her head back inside the dishwasher, and Edward guffawed._

_Scowling, Jessica crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts nearly out the v-neck of her t-shirt. "Or so they can use it to cover your face, Bella," she shot back. _

_Bella snorted and clutched her chest dramatically. "Oh, ouch," she said dryly. "You really got me with that one, Stanley. Guess you showed me."_

_"Oh, whatever, Bella," Jessica said in a huff. Then she turned on her heel and stomped out of the shop._

_"I hope you realize she'll never forgive you for not oohing and ahhing over her new 'do," Bella chuckled as she climbed up on a stool to put the mugs back on the upper shelf. "And you'll get it even worse because you actually had the balls to compliment me instead. Probably not your smartest move, Cullen."_

_"I think I'll live," Edward drawled. "Besides, I meant it. Your hair really does look nice - and a lot better than Jessica's."_

_Again, an adorable blush stained her cheeks. "And__** I**__ meant it - shut __**up**__, Cullen."_

_Grinning smugly to himself, he continued cleaning the counter, content with the knowledge that Bella Swan wasn't quite as impervious to his charms as she'd like him to think. _

**---**

"And before she told me about your 'family emergency' – which I stupidly _believed, _by the way – I was ready to kill you myself. But she _defended_ you. She said you couldn't have helped it, and that there was no point getting mad at you. So I figured if she wasn't ready to rip you a new one, I had no right to."

God. He was an even bigger douche than he'd thought. And that was saying something. She'd gone through absolute hell at the hands of her classmates, and it was his fault. No wonder she was having a harder time than he'd expected letting go of the past, of forgiving him for the mistakes he'd made.

"When you left for college without as much as a 'See ya later, Bella!', she played it off like it was no big deal, so I figured it really _was_ no big deal," Alice admitted with a sad shake of her head. "Some best friend I am. I just… I didn't _see_ it, and I'm so mad at myself, now. She made me think she was okay, when in reality she was just shutting down to keep from feeling the hurt."

"You know she won't let you see what she doesn't want you to see," he pointed out, voice soft with both apology and sympathy. The last thing he wanted was for Alice to start feeling badly about everything that had happened. "Hell, Alice, if I'd had any clue she felt that way back then, I think things would've turned out very differently."

"Hindsight's a bitch," Alice agreed with a sigh.

Scrubbing his hands over his face, he slid them up and back to tug at his hair. "I wish I'd known what she was dealing with at school. She never said anything. Not a fucking word. I had no idea, I swear."

Of course, why should that surprise him? Given everything he knew about Bella, then and now, it made perfect sense. Hell, she'd been nursing as large a crush for him as he'd had for her, and he'd had no clue. None. She was obviously an expert at hiding her true feelings - from everyone.

So not only had she been trying to deal with the fact that the guy she liked was a spineless douche who'd stand her up (because, she'd figured, he'd gotten a better offer), humiliating her in front of basically the entire Junior and Senior classes, but then she had to deal with the fallout.

Fuck. _Fuck!_ Edward couldn't even begin to imagine the pain she must've felt, all because of him.

And then to have to work with him for the rest of the summer, pretending like nothing was wrong...

And _then_ he'd pulled another spineless douche move when it had been time for him to leave for college...

Fuck. He truly was an asshole. And he was damn lucky Bella hadn't ripped off his dick and shoved it down his throat when she'd seen him again. He would've deserved it.

"I know. And it doesn't surprise me at all. She's too independent for her own good sometimes, y'know? Always tries to deal with stuff on her own, never asks for help. I'm so glad she didn't try to deal with Charlie's accident by herself. Six months ago, she might've."

There was no use even trying to deny that. And when he'd first heard the news from Rose and Emmett, he was afraid that's what was happening – that she was shutting him out and trying to deal on her own. His relief when he'd realized that wasn't the case was immeasurable.

"It's always been really hard for her to let people in," Alice continued, and he nodded silently in agreement. He could've told her that. "Bella even only lets _me_ in to a certain point, and we've been best friends for four years." She smiled softly. "I love her, too, Edward. She's my sister-of-the-heart. And I'm so glad she's got you now. I can already see changes in her. Good ones."

Edward couldn't have kept the goofy smile off his face if he'd tried. "Yeah?"

Smiling back, Alice's head bobbed. "Definitely. Besides just being happy, she's opening up more than ever – with all of us. So whatever you're doing? Keep doing it."

They ate in easy silence, finishing their meals quickly. As they stood to clear their trays, Edward pulled the tiny girl into his arms and hugged her fiercely. "Thanks, Ali," he said softly, before letting her go.

"You can repay me by giving me free rein over planning your wedding," she replied with an impish grin. "From choosing Bella's dress, down to picking the style of the monogram on the napkins, and everything in between."

Edward threw his head back and laughed, probably for the first time since he found out about the accident. "If it happens, Alice, I'll do what I can."

"Silly, delusional Edward. There's no 'if'," she corrected him smugly, rising up on her toes so she could pat his head, "only 'when'. Trust me. I know these things."

The rest of the day was spent socializing, both with Charlie and the steady stream of people who came by to pay their respects. It seemed like the entire Forks Police Department had been through, and Edward found it interesting watching Bella's reaction to the people who, he assumed, had known her for years. She was quiet, staying out of the way, only speaking when addressed directly. She was clearly uncomfortable, but she tolerated it for her dad, keeping a watchful eye over him to make sure he didn't get over excited or stressed.

Not that Edward could really imagine Chief Swan getting over-excited about anything... except maybe a really good Mariners game.

That afternoon, the driver of the logging truck succumbed to his injuries. That announcement had prompted a white-faced Bella to excuse herself from the room. Edward had followed, holding her as she cried from the shock, well aware that it could have easily been Charlie in the trucker's place.

Returning from one of several cafeteria runs, Edward found Bella sitting in the waiting room with Jacob, Seth, and Leah. The boys were wrestling each other for control of a PSP, but the fact that Bella and Leah were sitting together, talking and even smiling at each other, spoke volumes. Considering their obvious animosity for each other at Thanksgiving, this turn of events rather blew Edward's mind.

Later on, Bella had smirked when revealing that apparently Jake and Leah had been dating for the past month or so, and it had mellowed Leah right out. She'd even apologized to Bella for being such a heinous bitch for so long. In short, she'd been upset over her recent break-up, and was jealous of Bella because everyone seemed to love her, including her own family. Edward couldn't help himself from gloating while crowing, "Told you so!"

When visiting hours ended, Bella asked Edward to take her back to her house, while the rest of their friends went back to spend the night at the Cullens' once again. He suspected she was simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of people she'd had to deal with the past few days. As much as she loved a lot of them, it was obviously draining her. She needed a night away from everyone to recharge.

Well, almost everyone.

"You'll stay, right?"

Her voice was so small, so lost, that it nearly broke him.

"Try getting rid of me," he told her, smiling crookedly and knowing he probably looked like a lovesick dolt. He really didn't care, because that's exactly what he was, and he never wanted Bella to have reason to doubt that.

Obviously drained, both physically and emotionally, Bella could barely keep her eyes open as they ate the homemade lasagna she'd pulled from the freezer and tossed in the oven. Edward had shooed her off to the living room to relax in front of the television while he cleaned up, and it was a sure sign of just how tired she was when she didn't argue. By the time he was done in the kitchen, Bella was fast asleep, curled up on the sofa, clutching a pillow to her chest like a teddy bear.

Edward watched her for a moment, smiling as she muttered something about not having enough beans for the driftwood to light properly. Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean.

Chuckling softly, he turned off the TV and shut off the lights, then scooped up Bella and carried her upstairs. He partially undressed her to make her more comfortable, then settled her into her childhood bed. Edward disappeared into the bathroom briefly, and when he returned, she was curled up on her side, one arm reaching out, searching, a knot forming between her eyebrows as she failed to find what she was looking for.

"Ed... whurd..."

God, as if it were possible for him to love her even more...

Flicking the switch on the bedside lamp, he plunged the room into darkness. Edward climbed into the small, twin-size bed and lay on his side facing Bella. Kissing her forehead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest, smiling as she let out a soft, contented sigh.

He truly was exactly where he needed to be.

* * *

I caved. I'm on Twitter: alicedances01

Oh, and I have news! Exciting news for me, but you may not give a crap. And hey, that's okay!

I've been nominated for my first ever fanfic awards! I'm seriously surprised, but also incredibly flattered. So to everyone who nominated MIA for _The Moonlight Awards_, THANK YOU! I'm up for **Best Edward, Incomplete** (the Edward you wish was your boyfriend), and **Best Bella, Incomplete** (best portrayal of Bella). There are some awesome stories up for your consideration, so go on over and read and vote! Voting is on now until September 1st: **http : // themoonlightawards . yolasite . com **

I'm also up for a _Golden Chocolate Award_ - **Best Review Replier**. This one makes me giggle. Anyway, voting hasn't started yet, that I know of, but you can check out the other nominees and categories here: **http : // goldenchocolateadwards . webs . com/**

And a heads up that they're now accepting nominations for the _TwiFic Awards_. I think nominations are open until the end of August, so go and nominate your favorites now! **http : // twificawards . webs . com/**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Shifting all the shopping and grocery bags to one hand and juggling her rain-soaked umbrella, Bella fumbled with her keys as she unlocked the door to Edward's apartment. It was the first time she was using the key he'd given her weeks ago, and she felt weird about it even though he'd told her repeatedly she was welcome to invade his place whenever she wanted, regardless of whether or not he was home. Somehow, she still felt like she was trespassing, even though she spent almost as much time there as she did in her own dorm room.

Once inside, she flicked on the light and made her way into the kitchen, where she quickly put away the supplies needed for her plan.

With Emmett and Jasper enlisted to help keep Edward occupied for the afternoon, Bella was going to prepare him a surprise dinner. It was the least she could do after everything he'd done for her when Charlie was in the hospital. (Fortunately, Charlie was home now, and being looked after – quite well, in fact – by Sue. Bella still called daily to check in, but at least she could rest assured that he was in good hands during his convalescence.) Even in his role as her boyfriend, Edward had gone above and beyond the call of duty. He'd risked his academic future (though his professor had been remarkably understanding and was allowing Edward to do some make-up work), he'd held her hand, he'd put up with her tears, clinginess, and neediness… He'd been a freakin' saint, and she damn well knew it.

So, dinner it was. Just a gesture of her appreciation.

And then later…

Well, she simply didn't feel the need to hold out anymore. Edward had more than proven himself to her, proven that he'd be there for her whenever she needed him. So now there was nothing holding her back from taking that final leap into intimacy.

Bella Swan was going to seduce Edward Cullen.

That was as detailed as her plan got, however. Thankfully, the subject of birth control had been broached a couple of weeks ago - both were clean and she was on the pill, so problem solved - so that was one less thing she had to worry about. She hadn't much thought about this night beyond the basics, though, figuring she could just wing it. Which was hysterical, when she really thought about it, because… yeah. Bella and seduction as an art weren't exactly on speaking terms. Hell, they weren't even remotely acquainted.

Hopefully the dinner she was preparing would make up for the areas in which she was lacking. And with any luck, Edward would just be so stoked to _finally_ be getting laid, he wouldn't care about the lack of sophistication involved in the actual getting there part of the process.

He _was_ a guy, after all.

Several hours later, the apartment was filled with the delicious aroma of pot roast slow-cooking in the oven. Bella was quite pleased with herself, actually. The cheesecake she'd baked for dessert looked perfect and was in the fridge cooling. In the living room, the coffee table was set for dinner, even bearing some candles Alice had insisted upon when she'd found out Bella's culinary plans.

In around fifteen minutes, Edward should be walking through the door, and Bella was trying very hard to control her nerves. It seemed to be a losing battle so far, but she wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet.

The gentle rumbling of thunder had kept her company while she cooked, rolling over the music playing from the iPod dock in the living room. Now it was gradually growing louder and was accompanied by white flashes of lightning. It didn't sound like a bad storm by any stretch of the imagination, and she found it rather soothing in some strange way.

The sound of a key turning the lock had her heart racing, which she knew was stupid, but she couldn't quite help feeling nervous. There was a pause after the door was opened, presumably as Edward noticed the candle-lit setting on the coffee table, which had most definitely not been there when he'd gone out.

"Oh, holy _fuck_ something smells good...," she heard him mutter. "Bella…?"

Poking her head around the corner, she smiled at him. "Hey."

His answering grin was crooked and adorable as he cocked his head at her in confusion. "Not that I'm complaining, but what're you doing here? I thought I was picking you up in an hour."

Stepping out of the kitchen, she shrugged self-consciously. "I wanted to surprise you," Bella explained, suddenly feeling weird about the whole thing.

After hanging up his wet jacket and shaking the water droplets from his hair, Edward crossed to where she stood, that gorgeous smile still gracing his face. He wrapped his arms around her, and she melted into his hug, inhaling his slightly musky scent.

He stroked her hair and hugged her tighter. "You made me dinner?"

Nodding, Bella looped her arms around his waist and squeezed. "To thank you for being so amazing through the whole thing with Charlie," she explained softly. His lips brushed the top of her head, and she smiled.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You don't have to thank me, Bella," he assured her. "I _wanted_ to be there."

If he'd said it once, he'd said it a hundred times. But she still felt the need to show him how much it meant to her.

"_God_, it smells awesome."

"Pot roast," she replied, and she could have sworn he whimpered. "Your mom told me it was your favorite, so…"

Pulling back slightly, Edward cupped her face with both hands, holding her still as he feathered kisses across her cheeks. "Best." He kissed the corner of her mouth. "Girlfriend." He repeated the motion on the other side. "Ever." Tilting his head just slightly, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her in that slow, sensual way of his that never failed to turn Bella's insides to jelly.

If that was how he reacted to dinner, what was he going to do when she informed him what she had in mind for dessert…?

"Do I have time for a quick shower?" he asked against her lips, and Bella immediately flashed back to that morning at his parents' house when he'd given her a whole new appreciation for showers. Her cheeks flushed slightly at the memory, though she knew there wasn't time for anything like that right now.

Maybe later, though.

With her blessing, Edward disappeared down the hall into the bathroom, leaving Bella to fuss around in the kitchen. The roast was covered in tinfoil and sitting on a small platter, the melt-in-your-mouth veggies were in a serving dish, and Bella was currently stirring the gravy on the stove. It was just reaching a lovely, rolling boil, thickening to perfection, when she heard the shower turn off.

Perfect timing.

Taking the pot off the heat, she was in the midst of pouring the gravy into the little serving boat, when a particularly sharp crash of thunder sounded, accompanied by a blinding flash of lightning. Bella's small scream was purely instinctual, as was the way she jumped as the apartment was suddenly plunged into blackness.

Fuck. Lights.

"_Fuck_," she cried out as her hand started to burn.

In the sudden darkness, her aim had been shifted, and she'd poured gravy over the hand holding the gravy boat steady. Instinctively, she tossed the pot onto the stove and dropped the boat before blindly groping for the sink. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," she hissed. The burning only got worse as she fought with the faucet before finally cranking on the cold water and sticking her poor hand under the flow.

Thumps and muttered oaths could be heard from the vicinity of the bathroom and bedroom as Edward struggled to navigate the dark apartment. She didn't pay them a whole lot of attention, though, as she shifted her weight from foot to foot in the universal owie-owie-owie-owie dance.

"You okay?" he called, and she could hear the frown in his voice as he rounded the corner into the kitchen. Now that her eyes were adjusted, she could see not too badly in the dim glow cast by the candles in the living room.

Huffing out a sigh, Bella nodded and replied through clenched teeth, "Yeah, fine." Her hand was aching from the cold water, but she didn't dare pull it out just yet.

"What happened?" Edward asked as he neared her, noticing how she gingerly cradled her injured hand under the tap.

"Cooking and blackouts are generally a bad fucking combination," she grumbled. "It's just a bit of a gravy burn, it'll be fine." She was determined that it _would_ be fine, despite the fact that pain was now radiating from her thumb up her forearm.

Behind her, she heard the sound of a drawer opening and closing. "What're you –"

Her question was answered with a soft click that illuminated much of the kitchen. "Flashlight," he explained. He joined her at the sink and turned the flashlight on her hand. "Lemme see."

Cautiously, she pulled her hand out from under the soothing water and held it out to Edward. As soon as the air hit it, the burning flared white hot, and she bit her lip hard to keep from crying. The pain was so severe it actually made her nauseated. The top side of the base of her thumb was already forming a large blister and looked pretty damn gross. He winced sympathetically as he examined it. "You don't have to go to the hospital," he grudgingly admitted. "But it's nasty and is gonna hurt like a bitch."

"No shit," she hissed, yanking it from his gentle grip and dipping it back under the tap, breathing out a sigh of relief.

He pressed a sweet kiss to her temple, before pulling away. "Keep soaking it. I'll be right back."

"Whatever you say, Dr. Cullen," she said tightly, gasping in relief as she stuck the burn back under the tap.

---

_Flashback_

_"Be careful with those," Edward warned as he glanced over at Bella, who was unpacking and separating batches of stir sticks. They were fastened together with tightly stretched elastic bands, and she was carelessly rolling them up, letting the snap off and fly off to the side._

_"I've done this a million times, Cullen," she assured him, waving off his concern. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a total spaz."_

_"Fuck belief. I've seen enough of it first-hand to know you are a total spaz."_

_Flipping him off with one hand, she continued rolling off the elastic with the other. That lack of focus is what she blamed for what happened next. The elastic snapped up with surprising force, hitting her square in the eye._

_"Ow! God__**fucking**__dammit!" _

_Dropping the bunch of stir-sticks, not caring that they scattered across the floor, Bella slapped both hands over her left eye._

_"Oh shit," Edward exclaimed, clearly trying not to laugh as he rushed to her side. "Fuck, Bella, are you okay?" _

_He tried to grab her hands, but she stubbornly - or childishly, depending on your perspective - refused to let him touch her. She bent at the waist, hissing in extreme discomfort as she stomped her feet in a ridiculous attempt to deal with the pain._

_"Fuck off," she bit at him, then whimpered as the sharp sting worsened, throbbing in time with her pulse as her irritation caused her blood pressure to rise._

_"Swan -"_

_"I said fuck off!" She didn't mean it, and he'd know that. She was just in pain and embarrassed, so she was lashing out. Unfortunately for Edward, he was the only one around to be on the receiving end._

_He heaved a long-suffering sigh, but much to her relief (and disappointment, though she wouldn't admit it), she heard him walk away. Turning her back towards the counter, just in case a customer decided to grace them with a visit, Bella tentatively pulled her hands away, but quickly slapped them back when the pain flared back up. "Shit," she hissed through clenched teeth._

_From off to the side, she could hear the water turn on as Edward went back to cleaning. Or so she'd thought, because he was back at her side and once again trying to pull her hands away. "Let me see," he implored, voice and touch surprisingly gentle. _

_Jaw set stubbornly, she relented and slowly moved her hands, though she didn't open her eye. It was tearing horribly, and she knew it was already swollen._

_"Ouch," he murmured. Bella flinched as his fingers very, very gently felt the area around her eye. "Can you open it?"_

_It wasn't easy, and it hurt like hell, but she managed to open it a crack. She squinted up at him, annoyed but not surprised to find her vision in the afflicted eye was blurry._

_Cupping her chin, Edward tipped her head up, angling it towards the light as he examined her. _

_"Blink," he instructed._

_"Y'know, Cullen, just because you plan on studying pre-med doesn't mean you know what you're doing yet," she pointed out, though she did as he requested._

_A soft chuckle accompanied a shake of his head. "No, growing up with a doctor as a dad, and having him take care of me after getting the crap knocked out of me playing football for years, means I know the basic shit to look for after something like this." She reluctantly admitted to herself that he had a point. So she let him delicately pry her lid further apart._

_"That fucking hurts," she protested, and he rolled his eyes in response._

_"Don't be such a girl."_

_Scowling, she back-handed him across the chest. "Ass."_

_"Baby," he lobbed back with a grin. He held a finger in front of her face. "Follow my finger, okay?"_

_She grumbled her acquiescence and obediently tracked his finger as he moved it from side to side then up and down. It hurt and her vision was still fuzzy, but she managed._

_"It's bloodshot and the lid will probably be swollen for a few hours - maybe even until tomorrow morning - but I think you'll live."_

_"Is that your professional diagnosis, Dr. Cullen?" Bella snarked, annoyed with herself for being clumsy enough to shoot herself in the eye and annoyed with Edward for... well, hell, for taking care of her._

_Bastard._

_He shrugged off her attitude, so used to her by now, she figured, that he knew better than to take her seriously when she got in a mood like this. "I'll make you an ice pack you can keep on it for the rest of our shift." _

_"Thanks," she mumbled, more grateful than she could bring herself to let on._

_As he walked off to create his makeshift ice pack, he smirked at her over his shoulder. "And, Swan? Try not to shoot out the other one while I'm gone, okay? I really like your eyes."_

_Whether he meant while he was gone in the back room, or gone away to college, Bella didn't know. She couldn't force her brain to move past the fact that Edward told her he liked her eyes._

---

Bella did as instructed, waiting impatiently until Edward returned with a mini first aid kit. He carefully tended to her injury, numbing the area with some sort of gel-like substance before soothing on an antibiotic cream. He covered her thumb with a gauze bandage, holding it in place by wrapping a strip of the fabric around the rest of her hand and wrist. When he was done mummifying her hand, he fed her a pain killer and ordered her to go sit down in the living room while he brought out dinner.

This was _so_ not how she'd wanted the evening to go. Edward didn't seem to mind, though, and he cheerfully carried out the serving dishes, arranging them on the coffee table while all she could do was watch… and keep her hand from accidentally brushing against anything.

They sat together on the floor at the coffee table, the candles the only light in the apartment. Apparently she'd done a good job on dinner, because she'd never seen him inhale food the way he was now. Bella watched in amusement, extremely glad he was enjoying it, but still highly entertained (and flattered, she had to admit) by his enthusiasm.

"I'll deny it to the grave if you ever say anything," Edward stated as he began filling his plate with seconds, lowering his voice conspiratorially when he continued with, "but this is actually better than my mom's."

God, the women's libbers out there would flog her, but she couldn't help the swell of pride over his appreciation of her cooking. She'd always cooked. At first, when it was just her and her mom, it was out of necessity, since Renee was beyond useless in the kitchen. But in time, Bella had learned to really enjoy it. It was rather therapeutic for her, and she loved it when people enjoyed her creations.

"I still can't believe you went to all this trouble for me," he continued, his smile just a tad self-conscious. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but you really didn't have to."

"Shut up and eat, Cullen," Bella ordered with a roll of her eyes. "We've been over this, and I don't feel like rehashing."

As supper progressed, she could feel her stomach knotting more and more in anticipation of the planned after-dinner activities. Sex had never been something premeditated for her, so she was feeling really awkward and unsure of how to make things happen.

Rosalie would've suggested sexy lingerie and a strip-tease, she figured, but there was just no way in hell. Bella wasn't sure who would laugh harder in that scenario – her or Edward. As for Alice… well, she wasn't entirely sure what Alice's two cents would have been, and maybe it was better that way.

She tried to help clear the dishes, but Edward refused, insisting that since she cooked it was only fair he cleaned up.

"I think you're actually too good to be true," Bella mused, watching him as he moved between the living room and kitchen.

"Nah," he protested. "I can't cook for shit, you know that. But if I could, then I guess I'd be pretty much perfect."

Bella snorted. "Modest, too."

This was good. If they could just keep up the banter, then maybe she could keep her nerves under control. Maybe.

"Always," he quipped as he came back into the living room. He dipped down and kissed her sweetly. "But you love me anyway."

Heaving an exaggerated sigh, Bella nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do."

His smile just about took her breath away.

Curling up on the sofa while he finished putting things away, Bella continued to ponder her dilemma. Did she just up and tell him she wanted them to have sex tonight? Did she ease into it, with a little making out? Or…

Fuck. She _so_ failed as a girl.

"Bella…?"

"Hmmm?"

"Tell me you didn't make cheesecake for dessert."

Quirking an eyebrow, she glanced over her shoulder towards the kitchen. The inside was lit by Edward's flashlight, and she could see him standing with the fridge door open, staring intently inside.

"Okay, I didn't make cheesecake for dessert," she deadpanned.

He made an odd sound, something between a groan and a growl, as he reached into the fridge and pulled out the small cake. "Y'know, Swan, if your goal tonight was to have me completely at your mercy, you're pretty much there."

Both her eyebrows climbed in amusement at that little revelation. "Duly noted," she assured him with a grin.

Two forks on one hand, the cake balanced in the other, and the flashlight tucked under his arm, Edward carefully returned to the living room.

And promptly tripped over the edge of the area rug.

In slow motion, Bella watched as he flailed, trying to save himself _and_ the cake. Cutlery and flashlight clattered noisily to the floor as Edward fell, doing some Matrix-esque body roll in midair that somehow kept the cake upright and above him. He landed with a grunt and wince-inducing thump as his head connected with the bottom shelf of the entertainment unit.

Bella was at his side before he even stopped moving, snatching the cake from his hand and setting it on the coffee table before turning her attention back to Edward. His eyes were clenched shut, the hand that hadn't been holding the prize dessert clutching at the side of his head.

"Oh fuck, shit, fuck…," she muttered, feeling ridiculously helpless with only one useable hand as she peered down at his scrunched up face. "Fuck, Edward, are you okay?"

Stupid question, duh.

"Is the cake okay?" he ground out from between clenched teeth.

The cake? Um... "Yeah, it's fine."

"Good. Because I'd be really fucking pissed off if I did this for nothing."

Bella couldn't help but chuff out a laugh. Leave it to Edward to be more worried about dessert than his own head.

"You're an idiot sometimes, y'know that?" Her tone was lovingly chastising.

"So you keep telling me," he admitted. Sitting up slowly, he groaned as he rubbed his head. "Fucking hell that hurt."

Pushing his hand aside, she very, very gently probed the area. A small lump was already forming, but she didn't think it was anything major. God knew she'd had enough head injuries over the years that she could tell what was serious and what just plain hurt – your head _and_ your pride.

"I think you'll live," she assured him, running her fingers gently through the hair surrounding the goose egg.

Kneeling next to him on the living room floor, the reality of their situation finally sunk in. First was the blackout, then her hand, then the almost-destroyed dessert and Edward's bumped head....

The fates were seriously conspiring against them.

A laugh bubbled up from deep inside, but Bella fought it back. As she watched Edward's pouty face, though, the giggle made another attempt, and she couldn't keep it down. He looked at her strangely as she started really laughing, clearly not understanding what she found so funny.

"Care to share with the rest of the class, Miss Swan?"

For several minutes, she couldn't speak she was laughing so hard. Her stomach was beginning to hurt, and tears were forming in her eyes. Edward simply watched her, bemused, waiting for her to sober up enough to answer.

"We're fucking doomed," she finally got out through a snort of laughter. "This was supposed to be a big seduction thing tonight," Bella waved her good hand around the room as she continued to try to rein in her laughter, "and it's turned into a clusterfuck. The power going out, my stupid hand, your head… We're cursed. At this rate we'll never end up sleeping together, I swear."

Sometime during her explanation, Edward had stopped rubbing his head, hand frozen in midair, and was simply staring at her.

"Wait," he requested, "back up just a sec. What was that about… seduction?"

Bella stared back at him for a second, then her cheeks flamed as she realized what she'd admitted to.

_Crap_.

Opening her mouth to reply, she quickly closed it again when she realized she had absolutely no clue how to answer him. It was out in the open now, as was her extreme embarrassment over the whole situation. Teeth tugged on her bottom lip as she ducked her head to avoid his damn penetrating stare.

"Bella." His voice was deep and slightly rough, and it sent a shiver down her spine. "Bella, look at me." She did so, albeit reluctantly, meeting his gaze from beneath her lashes. "Are you…?"

He trailed off, and Bella nodded, her cheeks flaming even hotter. "I don't want to wait anymore," she admitted, voice soft as she offered him a shy smile.

The shaky breath Edward exhaled was accompanied by what was probably the biggest and most beautiful smile she'd ever seen. Leaning forward, he slipped his hand around the back of her head, tangling it in her hair before pulling her forward and crashing his lips against hers. The kiss immediately deepened, tongues invading and exploring.

She didn't know how long they sat there on the living room floor, kissing and stroking and adoring each other. Without breaking the kiss, Edward stood them up together and led her towards his bedroom. Once inside, he settled her on the foot of his bed before pulling back. Heavy lids lifted so Bella could look up at him, and she realized for the first time the room was too dark.

"Don't move," he murmured, brushing another kiss across her lips before he disappeared through the doorway.

Trying to catch her breath, Bella raked her good hand through her hair, noting absently that she was trembling slightly. Not surprising, really. She was about to do something she'd only done a half dozen times before, and several years ago, at that. Would she measure up? Would she be good enough? Or would Edward find her lacking in comparison to the girls who'd come before her?

No pun intended.

And how the hell should she orchestrate this thing? Should she just jump him? Take control and let it happen hard and fast? Or would it be better to take it slow, savor the experience?

Or maybe she should stop driving herself fucking crazy and just let it happen, period.

Before she could be overcome with self-doubt, Edward returned, carrying the candles from the living room. The glow they cast made him look almost otherworldly, enhancing the planes and angles of his face so he appeared even more dramatic and beautiful than usual.

Carefully, he set the pillars down on his dresser and turned towards her. She swallowed hard, trying to keep from bolting.

Edward joined her on the bed, his hand instantly back in her hair as he trailed feather-light kisses along her jaw. Letting out a shaky breath, she tilted her head slightly and wrapped her trembling fingers in his hair. He kissed his way up to her lips, then pulled back slightly to look at her.

"Hey," he whispered, "it's just us. No pressure." He trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek to cup her jaw and brushed his lower lip gently against hers.

Closing her eyes briefly, Bella leaned her forehead against his and curled her hand around the one cradling her cheek, giving it a gentle squeeze. She took several deep, calming breaths before finally opening her eyes. She had to go a little cross-eyed to meet his gaze from so close, but she didn't care. In the flickering light, his eyes appeared almost disconcertingly dark, the rich green nearly indistinguishable from the black of his hugely dilated pupils.

"I love you," she told him, voice soft but sure. It wasn't often that she said the words first - it was still hard for her. But the fact that she was saying them now, in this situation... that she was making herself extremely vulnerable, in every way, wouldn't be missed. She knew that. And she trusted Edward to take care of her. "I want this. I just… I want _you_."

His mouth was on hers almost before she'd finished speaking. "I love you," he promised, breathing the words against her lips. "And god... I want you so fucking much. You have no idea..."

Bella groaned as his lips crushed hers once again, and she leaned forward to tuck her leg under her butt, giving herself better leverage against him. Apparently he approved, because Edward's arm banded around her waist, pulling her up onto both knees, body flush against his chest. He continued cradling her face with the other hand, his thumb sweeping gently across the apple of her cheek as they kissed.

Lifting her effortlessly, he shifted them further up the bed and gently laid them down. Edward rolled partly on top of her, and she welcomed his warmth, reveled in the weight of him pushing her into the mattress. His hips rocked against her leg, so slow and lazy that she doubted he was consciously doing it.

A warm hand with slightly calloused fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt, flattening against her stomach as it slid higher. It cupped her breast, swirling its thumb over her covered nipple, before shifting its attention to the other one, and Bella arched into it eagerly.

As quickly as it had appeared, though, it was gone, along with Edward himself. Opening her eyes, she saw that he was sitting back just enough to yank his shirt over his head before turning back to her.

"Sit up," he requested, and she did just that, letting him rid of her of her top and bra. With his hand flat against her back and mouth securely attached to her neck, he slowly lowered her to the bed.

Having the use of only one hand sucked, Bella decided, warring with the choice between burying her hand in his hair or copping a feel of his back. The desire to feel his muscles shifting beneath her fingers won out, but only after a brief dip into the glory of that damn sex hair of his. She dragged her short nails down his spine, earning a shudder from him as he latched onto her breast, before repeating the motion with the flat of her hand, loving the play of his hard muscles beneath his smooth skin. On one pass, she let her fingers dip below the waist of his jeans and the elastic of his boxer-briefs, and Edward growled against her chest before lurching up and once again attacking her lips.

With a moan, she returned the kiss, mirroring every bit of hunger he was displaying, pressing her chest against his and delighting in the feel of hot skin-on-skin. Bending her knee, she hooked her leg over his hips, bringing them into intimate contact, his hardness against her heat. Sensations were oddly amplified and simultaneously dulled by the increasingly frustrating barrier of their jeans.

Apparently deciding to take matters into his own hands – literally – Edward fumbled with the fastening of her pants, unbuttoning and unzipping and trying, one-handed, to drag them over her hips. It seemed he was frustrated with his lack of progress, because he finally tore his mouth from hers and sat back on his haunches to work the jeans over her hips and down her legs, while Bella tried to return the favor.

As she kicked her jeans to the floor, Edward rolled off the bed and stripped off his pants faster than she'd ever seen. His desire for her was evident in the impossible-to-miss tenting of his underwear, and she gnawed on her lower lip as her eyes roamed his figure.

God_damn_ he was gorgeous. And he was all hers.

Reclaiming his spot beside her, Edward tried to return to his previous position, but Bella stayed him with a hand on his chest. "Lie back," she urged, shifting to her knees as he obeyed. He watched her, clearly curious as to her next move.

She wished she knew, because now that she had him, what was she going to do with him?

From his surprisingly pretty feet, her eyes roamed up his long legs. They maintained the musculature of an athlete, despite the fact he hadn't been one for some years. Carefully, she reached out and traced the thin, pink scars around his knee, testament to the injury that had ended his football career… and had, essentially, brought him to her.

As she traced the lines of the scars with her fingers, she decided they deserved better, and replaced her fingers with her lips. Kissing along the lines, she smiled to herself as Edward's hand once again found purchase in her hair, sweeping it back from where it trailed along his shin and thigh, creating a curtain around her face.

"Tickles," he whispered with a slight chuckle.

"Sorry," she murmured, though the grin she flashed said otherwise. "Am I horrible person for being sorry you got hurt, but also being really fucking glad?"

His brow furrowed adorably, clearly not quite understanding where she was going with that train of thought.

"If you'd never had to quit the team, you never would've started working at Java Jive." She stopped as she spotted the understanding curl of his lips, knowing that she didn't have to say any more.

"C'mere." His voice was half sigh, half growl, and it made her heart race even faster.

Bella went, crawling up his body, trailing kisses up his sternum then darting for his lips. His hands were immediately in her hair, holding her still as he tried to control the kiss. When he was apparently satisfied she wasn't going anywhere, one of his hands began roaming, coming to rest, predictably enough, on her breast.

"I could never regret anything that brought us to where we are right now," he confessed, and she hummed in agreement as he reclaimed her lips.

Clutching her tightly, Edward rolled until their positions were reversed. She could feel his grin as he settled between her parted legs. "You're mine, now, Swan," he practically purred, breaking their kiss only long enough to speak those words.

_I always have been_, she told him silently, his lips keeping her from saying the words aloud. _I just didn't know it._

Their kisses became more frantic, clashing teeth and searching, stabbing tongues as their breathing grew increasingly labored. Beads of sweat collected on foreheads and necks, between their mostly bare bodies, along their backs, and neither cared. Hitching a leg up over Edward's hip, they moaned together, low and long, as he rocked against her cotton-covered core, the tip of him teasingly brushing her clit.

Edward shifted his weight to the side, enough so that he could tug at the waistband of her panties. Between the two of them, they wrestled off first her underwear, then his. He pressed against her thigh, his cock hard and hot, and Bella whimpered as his mouth again covered hers, tilting her pelvis restlessly. In answer to her wordless plea, two long, gentle fingers traveled down her stomach, tickled the light hair covering her mound, before dipping between her legs. Teasingly, he drew his fingers through her folds, circling and probing, but never staying in one place for long, and never touching her where she needed it.

And needed it desperately.

He finally slid his pianist's fingers inside her, and she was almost embarrassed by the noises he drove her to make. With every pump, she could feel herself winding up tighter and tighter. Frustrated that she couldn't reach him with her good hand to return the favor without contorting herself awkwardly, she groped him everywhere else she could – his hair, his neck, his back, until she finally settled on his bicep, her fingers clutching in synch with the rhythmic way his muscles contracted and extended as he brought her closer to edge.

So quickly that it left Bella blinking in shock, Edward released her lips and dove down her body, burying his face between her thighs before she had a chance to process the shift. She cried out at the intensity of the new sensations, writhing as the pressure continued building, controlled entirely by the workings of his magical tongue and fingers.

Seconds after his brilliant relocation, Bella's body froze and then she exploded, shattering with a wail that was only muffled by the fist she'd pressed against her pursed lips.

Before she could come down from the orgasmic high, Edward was moving back up her body, shifting himself over so that he lay between her legs. She could feel him pressing against her entrance, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

This was it. No turning back.

"Are you sure?" he asked in a whisper, his lips barely brushing the shell of her ear.

In response, she bent her knees and wrapped both legs around his waist, rubbing her still-sensitive wetness against him. Edward groaned, a sound from deep within, and slowly pushed inside.

Bella tried not to tense up, she really did. But her poor, long-ignored muscles protested the intrusion. Met with some resistance, Edward stopped and nuzzled against her neck, peppering her skin with kisses as he held himself still. His arms, propping himself above her, were clearly shaking with the strain, but he didn't try to rush her.

"It's okay, just relax," he pleaded softly, and she nodded silently to indicate she was trying. A moment passed, and he pushed in further, her inner muscles burning as they stretched to accommodate him. Wiggling her hips slightly, she inadvertently caused him to slide home, and his surprised grunt turned into a growl as he once again froze. He was panting against her neck, holding completely still as he gave them both a moment to adjust.

"Fuck," he ground out as he moved his hips in a slow, slight circle. "God, Bella…"

She needed to kiss him. Desperately. Ignoring where his face had been mere moments ago, she grasped a handful of his hair and gave it a gentle tug until he lifted his head enough for her to claim his lips. The foreign, slightly musky flavor on his tongue didn't offend her nearly as much as she might've expected, and she kissed him hard as she rocked her hips, encouraging him to move.

Apparently, he didn't need to be told twice.

Edward planted his elbows on either side of her head as he pulled back, nearly slipping completely out of her, before pushing back in. Gasping into his mouth, Bella let him find his rhythm before attempting to meet his spine-tingling thrusts.

It had never been like this for her before. She knew _everyone_ said that, it was ridiculously clichéd, but it was an undeniable fact. And she'd be damned if she didn't suddenly understand the difference between just sex and making love.

Color her sappy, but fucking hell.

It wasn't long before Edward's strokes grew shorter, harder, more erratic, and he tore his lips away from hers, panting heavily. Her eyes opened long enough to see the deep furrow in his brow, indicating his intent concentration. Foreheads pressed together, he shifted his weight to one side and reached down between them, to where they were joined. His fingers found her clit, still sensitive from before, and she felt herself tighten around him. He groaned and thrust harder, his fingers moving almost frantically against her, clearly begging her to let go again.

She chanted two words, "Oh god", over and over, a plea for more, for release, for _every_thing she was just too incoherent to verbalize. He grunted in counterpoint to her utterances, creating their own odd, erotic musical accompaniment.

Bella's second orgasm hit her like a sledgehammer. At her first shudder and whimper, Edward removed his hand and covered her fully again, slamming into her, driving her impossibly higher, until they were both choking back primal, desperate sounds as they came apart together.

After a few more half-hearted thrusts, Edward stilled and collapsed on top of her, bearing only part of his weight on his arms. They were both breathing hard, damn hair clinging to their sweaty faces and necks as they tried to recover. Bella absently trailed her fingers up and down his back, to which Edward responded by alternating kisses between her neck and shoulder.

"God, I love you," he breathed, heaving himself up with obvious effort to smile adoringly at her. "So much."

She returned the smile full force, cupping his jaw with her good hand and stroking her thumb over the slight stubble. "Love you back," she assured him, smile fading as doubt clouded her mind. "Was it... was I..." Bella pulled her bottom lip between her teeth nervously, not sure how to ask the question that was now nagging at her.

"You're not seriously gonna ask me if that was okay," Edward interjected, not making it a question. Her cheeks flushed, this time with embarrassment rather than arousal, and her gaze shifted to the ceiling over his shoulder. "Bella... god, I don't have the words to describe how abso-fucking-lutely incredible that was." He kissed her, his lips tender and gently teasing. "And if I'm not mistaken, you thought it was pretty okay...?"

Her lips twisted into a wry smile, and she nodded. "Yeah, I'd say a bit better than pretty okay."

"Then shut up and bask in the damn afterglow, Swan," he ordered with a smirk before kissing her, hard. The kiss went on, turning playful and competitive, until they were both laughing.

"Get off me, Cullen, you're crushing me," Bella ordered, shoving his chest half-heartedly. They made matching sounds of displeasure as he slipped out of her, then rolled over and off.

After taking several minutes to clean up, Edward ordered Bella back to bed as he padded out into the apartment, warning her that she'd better not have any clothes on when he returned. Smirking, she climbed under the covers and waited, quite enjoying the feel of the cool, crisp sheets against her naked body.

When he reappeared, he was brandishing forks and the abandoned cheesecake. He quickly rid himself of the underwear he'd pulled on, and joined her under the covers. "I figured we worked up an appetite," Edward told her with a grin. "And we can't risk it going bad if the power doesn't come back on."

"Cheesecake won't go bad -" She was silenced with a forkful of the rich, creamy cake being shoved into her mouth.

"Shut up, Swan, you're ruining the moment," he ordered, smirking as he forked some of the dessert into his own mouth.

That was impossible, as far as she was concerned. She couldn't have imagined a more amazing, wonderful, romantic moment if she'd tried.

Sure, the night had been a bit of a clusterfuck, as she'd pointed out earlier, but somehow, it worked. So despite her throbbing hand, and the lump on Edward's head, and the blackout, if she had to do it all over again? She wouldn't change a damn thing.

In its imperfections, the whole evening had been perfect.

* * *

_**I'm so, so sorry for taking so long with this chapter. Besides the legit excuses of Real Life pissing me off, I totally psyched myself out about this chapter. I knew how highly-anticipated the events in this chapter were, and I was terrified of disappointing - thus creating my lovely case of writer's block.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**I know, I know, I suck. I'm sorry.**_

**--**

**Chapter 24**

When Edward rolled over into a soft, warm body, he wasn't at all surprised. This had become the beautiful norm over the past couple of months, at least on weekends. What _wasn't_ the norm, however, was the fact that the soft, warm body in question was also very much naked.

As was he.

A slow smile spread across his face as he opened his eyes to a tumble of brown hair, vividly remembering the events that had led to their unclothed state.

He'd never been so happy to be caught off guard before. The dinner alone was incredibly sweet and thoughtful of her, but what had followed…

Making love with Bella had surpassed every fantasy he'd ever had about her – and considering some of the thoughts he'd entertained, especially since their reunion in September, that was quite an accomplishment. He supposed it was because, while he'd been able to clearly imagine the physical aspects of their joining, the emotional connection had been somewhat vague. The reality had blown his mind; never before had he felt so close to another human being. Ever. He hadn't even realized that level of emotional intimacy was possible.

Tightening his arm around her, Edward drew Bella's back flush against his chest, groaning softly as her butt nestled perfectly against his already growing hard-on. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the faint scent of her shampoo while nuzzling her gently. She made soft, sleepy noise as she shifted against him, and he grinned.

He trailed the backs of his fingers up her belly and around her breasts, first one and then the other, before dragging them over their peaks. They responded automatically to the gentle stimulation, and Edward couldn't resist rolling one of the hardened nipples between his fingers. Bella arched her back slightly, seeking his touch, and her breathing began to shallow out, indicating she was starting to wake up.

Edward feathered kisses along her shoulder, silently encouraging her to join the land of the living. Very subtly, her chest vibrated with a silent hum as her hand came up to cover his where it rested on her breast. Propping himself up on one elbow, he smiled down at Bella as she scrunched up her face and stretched.

She was so adorably sexy in the mornings. Sweet and vulnerable, warm and snuggly, and possessing a special sensuality of which he knew she was completely unaware, Bella completely owned him every time he woke up with her.

Hell, if he were being honest, she owned him all the time. But that wasn't really the point.

Big, brown eyes opened and peered up at him. She blinked repeatedly as she struggled to focus on his face, and Edward chuckled. "Morning," he greeted her, his voice rough with sleep.

"Morning," Bella replied just before rolling towards him and snuggling into his chest, eyes shutting once again.

Settling himself down next to her, Edward wrapped his arm around her and drew her closer before letting his hand find her hair. "Did I wear you out last night?" he teased, and was rewarded by a snort of laughter.

"Don't flatter yourself," she mumbled and poked him in the ribs with one bony little finger.

He caught her hand before she could pull away, wrapping his long fingers around hers, and lifted it to his mouth, kissing the tip of the offending digit. "You're lucky I love you, y'know," he joked.

Instead of telling him to fuck off, as he'd expected, Bella snuggled closer, draping her arm over his waist, and kissed his chest right over his heart. "I know."

He could hear the smile in her voice, feel the way her lips curled against his skin, and he curved into her, needing to get closer. Because as much as he loved his snarky Bella, he treasured the moments with sweet, snuggly, sentimental Bella, if only because they were so much less common.

They'd become more frequent over the past couple of months, of course, but still.

"Nah, I'm the lucky one," he corrected, using the side of his finger to lift her chin, bringing her mouth to his.

Their lips moved against each other's slowly, and when Edward tried to deepen the kiss, Bella clamped her lips shut tight, and pulled back to duck her head. "Morning breath," she explained, the word muffled but understandable.

He rolled his eyes. "Yours or mine?"

"Mine."

"Then don't worry about it," he assured her, lifting her face to his again and crushing her lips beneath his. In no time, she'd surrendered, her tongue sneaking out to meet his.

Edward immersed himself in the soft and sweet Bella scents that never failed to intoxicate him, the addictive hot silk of her skin, and the alluring sounds - quiet moans and hitched breaths - he drew from her. He lost all track of time, having no idea how long they lay there, lost in each other, kissing and caressing, before their needs became more insistent. His erection was now throbbing almost painfully, and when his fingers trailed down and settled between her thighs, the evidence of her own arousal made him growl softly.

"Want you," he whispered into her mouth, his fingers stroking her folds and causing her hips to arch off the bed.

With an enthusiastic nod, Bella surprised him by placing her hand on his shoulder and urging him onto his back. Edward's brow furrowed slightly, but the question that had been on the tip of his tongue turned into a moan as he watched her climb to her knees and swing one leg over his, so she was straddling him.

Someone was feeling bold this morning, apparently, and he wasn't nearly stupid enough to complain. In fact, he loved it every time he caught a glimpse of this side of Bella.

He grasped her hips and slid her forward so that her heat was pressed against his cock. They both whimpered at the sensation, and Bella continued shifting her weight, sliding forward, then back, along his length.

She was trying to kill him. Clearly.

Just as he was about to physically lift her off his lap and slam into her, Bella leaned forward to kiss him, her breasts brushing his chest lightly as she opened herself to him. Her hand slipped between them, gripping him by the base, and guided him towards her entrance. Once he felt her wet heat, he angled his hips upward, pushing just his head inside. He paused, giving her a chance to adjust to him, and nearly lost all control when she lowered herself, slowly and steadily, down his shaft until she'd taken in all of him.

Jesus. Fucking. Christ. He was going to die. Bella was going to kill him with pleasure, and there wasn't a damn thing he could – or wanted to – do about it.

Careful to avoid the bandage covering her burn, he found her hands, laced their fingers together and laid them on the bed near his head, causing Bella to settle on top of him, their chests flush against each other, both rising in falling quickly with their rapid breathing. When she started to move, there was nothing Edward could do to keep from hissing with pleasure, his fingers tightening around hers. "Jesus," he whispered, rocking his hips up to meet hers.

It was heaven. Pure, unadulterated heaven, and he never wanted it to end.

"You okay?"

"Hmmmm," was all he could say, nodding and smiling as he held her gaze.

Her answering smile was crooked and adorable, and he needed to kiss her. Releasing her hands, he curled one around the back of her head to pull her in for a kiss, while the other found its way to her hip, guiding her movements. Not that she needed the help, because she was doing fantastic on her own, but he loved that gentle, feminine curve of hers, and gladly took advantage of any opportunity to touch her there.

Tongues warring and breathing ragged, their hips slammed together faster as they climbed towards release. But Edward wanted to see her face this time, watch her as she came apart for him. Sliding his hand from where it had tangled in her hair to her shoulder, he gently pushed her up and back, until she was sitting straight up above him. Her hips never ceased their rocking rhythm, and he knew he didn't have much time before he'd reach the point of no return.

Cupping her face tenderly, Edward smiled at her as she gazed down at him, her face and chest flushed a lovely shade of pink. "God, I love you," he told her, voice low and nearly choked with emotion. "So much."

"Love you back," she vowed breathily, a smile curling her kiss-plumped lips as she stroked his chest.

Releasing her cheek, he trailed a hand down her chest, between her beasts and down over her belly, until his fingers could curl around her hip, his thumb exploring where they were joined, searching for that wonderful, magical nub. The second he found it, her walls clenched around him and she moaned, increasing her speed as she continued riding him. His free hand reached for her breasts, palming one and squeezing gently as his thumb worked her.

Bella's eyes drifted shut and she sucked her lower lip into her mouth, worrying it with her teeth. His thumb must have found a particularly sensitive spot because she suddenly whimpered and arched into him, slamming her hips down against his.

"Lean back a bit," he commanded in a whisper, and she complied, her hands leaving his chest to grip his thighs behind her. Edward moaned at the incredible sight this new position granted him: the way her back arched, nipples puckered and begging for his mouth, hair falling down her back and tickling his legs, and her gorgeous hips flexing and rocking desperately. She released her lip as her mouth fell open with a gasp, a small knot of concentration forming between her closed eyes. The soft little sounds she'd been making grew just a bit louder, and flowed together to form one long, melodic mewling whimper as her inner muscles continued to tighten around him.

Desperately, he tried to stave off his orgasm, knowing he was right on the edge, willing the tightening and tingling in his gut, his groin, his balls, to retreat, but to no avail. Edward increased the efforts of his thumb, moving it in rapid circles and pressing it hard to her clit.

Bella's eyes clenched tight and her jaw dropped in a silent cry as she exploded, body suddenly paralyzed above him as her muscles clamped down and fluttered around his desperate cock as she came. Unable to wait until she was on the downside, Edward grasped her hips with both his hands and took control, slamming her down as he bucked to meet her. She cried out and he felt an increase in pressure as she pulsed around him, his mind just barely registering it as he held her still so he could pound up into her once, twice, three times, and then it was his turn to groan loudly as his orgasm hit hard, his entire body to convulsing in ecstasy.

A panting, slightly sweaty Bella collapsed on top of him, head turned so that she could press tired, sated kisses to his neck. "Holy shit," she slurred, her body completely limp above him. Edward let out a shaky breath and nodded in agreement, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly.

They were silent for a long moment, too exhausted to speak let alone move. Eventually, their breathing steadied, but neither made an effort to move despite the fact that Edward could feel himself softening inside her, and knew he'd soon slip out and cause one hell of a mess.

Wet spot, smet spot. He wanted to stay exactly where he was.

"I know I don't have much of a basis for comparison," Bella said softly, breath tickling his neck, "but I think we're pretty damn good at that."

A laugh bubbled up inside him and his chest shook with silent laughter. "You've got a gift for understatement," he informed her. "We're not _good_, Swan, we're fuckawesome."

Bella made a choked sound of amusement as she swatted his chest and began to giggle. Unfortunately, her laughter caused certain below-the-waist muscles to clench, and she effectively evicted him from her body. When she realized what happened, Bella started laughing even more, and Edward winced in distaste as his now soft cock flopped inelegantly against his leg. Still giggling, she rolled off him and onto the bed, but stayed close, resting her head on his shoulder as she grinned at him. "Sorry."

There was no remorse in her voice at all.

"Go ahead, laugh it up," he told her, cocking an eyebrow in warning. "You're the one who's going to start leaking any second now."

"Eeeew," she whined, then scrambled to the edge of the bed. Grabbing his discarded shirt from the night before, she slipped it on and headed for the bathroom, waddling comically as she struggled to keep her legs clenched tightly together to keep the evidence of their earlier activities from trickling down her thighs. Laughing at her antics, he made a mental note to make sure he had a full box of Kleenex by his bed at all times to make things a little less… messy for her.

Edward was on the verge of drifting back to sleep when the bed shook violently. His eyes popped open to find a grinning Bella on her knees beside him. There was no way he couldn't laugh at her – she just looked so damn adorable. Reaching up, he twirled a lock of her hair around his index finger and tried to use that to tug her down for a kiss. She resisted, wrapping her fingers around his wrist to still his downward motion.

"How's your hand?" he wondered, his forefinger lightly tracing around the outside edge of the gauze.

"It hurts," she admitted grudgingly. "I stole a couple of Tylenol from your medicine cabinet, so that should help. How's your head?"

His lips quirked to one side as he fingered the back of his head gently. To be honest, he'd forgotten all about it. "Not even a lump."

He couldn't get over how much he loved having Bella in bed. In his room. In his apartment. It was like she just fit his life perfectly. He hated that they couldn't be together all the time, wrap up in each others' arms every night and wake up together every morning.

"You're not planning on living in res again next year, are you?" Edward asked, still winding and unwinding her hair from his finger.

Her eyebrows hopped slightly. "Holy non-sequitur, Batman. Um… hadn't really given it a lot of thought," she admitted. "I'm not particularly enamored with the idea, but I figured I'd wait and see what Alice wants to do. Maybe we'll get an apartment off campus, or something. Why?"

And wasn't that the million-dollar question? Why, indeed?

"It'd be nice to have you closer," he finally settled on. It was the truth, just not all of it. Because what he wanted was for Bella to move in with him.

It was too soon for them to think about living together, he reluctantly admitted to himself. And besides that, he didn't particularly like the idea of Charlie coming after him with a shot gun for shacking up with his little girl.

"I'll talk to Al," Bella told him, then flashed a rather mischievous. "Maybe we can find a vacancy in this building. That would make things nice and convenient."

It would, it really would. And Edward loved the way his girl's mind worked. Because if she and Alice got an apartment together, even if they rarely stayed there, it would keep up the pretense of not living together (even though he had no intention of letting her spend much time in her own place) and likely keep Chief Swan from castrating him with a hail of bullets.

"I'd love that," he admitted, giving her what he knew was a rather sappy smile.

"Me, too." She swooped down and kissed him again, lingering slightly as she nibbled his lower lip before sitting back up. "Now, feed me," Bella demanded.

"Feed you?" he repeated, wondering if she'd forgotten who she was talking to

She nodded, the rest of her mussed hair falling over her shoulders. "I need sustenance, pronto."

The power had come back on last night not long after they'd began their dessert-in-bed, so he figured anything in his fridge was probably still okay to eat… the only problem was, there hadn't been much there to begin with. There was only one logical solution.

"Cora's?"

Her eyes lit up at the mention of the little diner with the best weekend breakfast buffet around. "You? Are brilliant." Leaning down, she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

"Just one?" Edward knew his voice was low and suggestive, and it earned him the response he was looking for – Bella's cheeks flushed pink, and she bit her lower lip.

"I'm going to grab a quick shower," she told him, ignoring his loaded question. She crawled backwards off the bed, and tossed him a playful smirk. "Wanna share?"

As if she'd have to ask him twice.

While Edward and Bella had been getting ready to go out, Jasper had called to see what they were up to, and had eagerly agreed to rally the troops and meet them for breakfast. Not that Edward particularly felt like sharing Bella with anyone, not even their closest friends, but hopefully it would be enough socializing to ensure they got the rest of the day to themselves.

As they waited for the other couples to arrive at the restaurant, it struck Edward that he and Bella both seemed extra affectionate with each other that morning, even out in public. Sure, holding hands and the occasional kiss wasn't unusual for them, but neither seemed to be able to get enough of the simply touching the other, their bodies constantly in as much contact as possible. Even now, as Edward leaned against the wall, they were wrapped up in each other's arms, kissing slowly, sweetly.

"I think he's trying to eat her face." An annoying familiar voice, Texas twang exaggerated for comedic effect, interrupted their moment. Stupid Jasper.

"Hey, Bellarina, you've got an Edward on your face!"

Edward reluctantly pulled his lips from Bella's and looked up to see their friends approaching. Emmett was laughing openly at the two of them and waggling his eyebrows suggestively as Rosalie thwapped him across the chest.

Bella sighed and gave Edward a long-suffering look. "This is going to be the longest breakfast in the history of the world, isn't it?"

All Edward could do was nod solemnly. "I'll make it up to you later, I promise."

"You'd better make it good," she grumbled before finally turning towards the new arrivals.

The group stood and chatted for a few minutes, and Edward noted that Alice was staring at Bella oddly, and Bella was shifting uncomfortably, inching her way closer to him until she was pressed firmly against his side. His arm slipped around her shoulders comfortably, and he leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head. It didn't seem to have the calming effect he'd hoped for, but it was as good an excuse as any to hold her close, so he didn't much care.

"Alice, _what_?" Bella finally demanded, but Alice simply cocked her cute little pixie head to one side and regarded her friend more closely. "Fuck off. You're creeping me out."

Grey eyes narrowed slightly in scrutiny. "You. Me. Bathroom. Now." Alice grabbed Bella's arm and started dragging her towards the door. Startled and clearly confused, all Bella could do was look at Edward helplessly as she was kidnapped.

_---_

_Flashback_

_One month. Four weeks. Thirty days. That was all the time he had left before he'd leave rainy Washington for Illinois, and the pre-med program at the University of Chicago. He was excited, scared, excited. He was also dreading it for one reason - and she was currently putting her stuff away in her cubby so she could get ready to hit the floor._

_Checking out the shift schedule for the next two weeks, Edward's brow knit in confusion. There was one name conspicuously absent._

"_Hey, Swan," he called over his shoulder, "why aren't you working next week?"_

_Bella finished tying her apron strings and tugged the skirt to straighten it out. "Alice is kidnapping me."_

_That… wasn't helpful. "Explain."_

_She sighed and tightened her ponytail. "Her family's renting a beach house in California. Alice got to Charlie before I could, and the two of them think I need a vacation. So I'm going with her. Against my will."_

_Two weeks without Bella. Two weeks… of the very limited time he had left before leaving for college. He felt a knot forming in his stomach, and he fought to keep his feelings from showing on his face._

"_Still, a beach house in Cali. Nice." He nodded in approval, forcing a grin. "You're gone for a whole two weeks?"_

"_Yeah," she grumbled. "And I was counting on those hours. Alice owes me, big time."_

_"Tell Alice I want a picture of you two in your teeny, tiny bikinis," he said with a leer, only partly joking. Sure, he wouldn't mind seeing Alice in a swimsuit (she was a really pretty girl with a great little body, after all, and he was a guy), but he'd do many a bad thing to get a glimpse of Bella in a skimpy two-piece. To have it in photo-form, for repeated viewing at his leisure, would be ideal._

_"Ass," Bella called to him as she left him alone in the back room to go start her shift. __**Their**__ shift, actually, but he was too busy trying to process this new information, trying to figure out how he felt about being Bella-less for two of his last four weeks in Washington. _

_Other than disappointed, of course, because that was a given. But maybe a small part of him was... relieved?_

_His parents had been pushing for a family road trip out to the Windy City, and if they did that, they'd have to leave in two weeks, rather than four. If they left then, Bella would still be away. So if he played dumb about it, even fooled himself into believing he was undecided until last-minute, he could be halfway across the country before Bella came back and found out he was gone._

_And he wouldn't have to say good bye. He could tell her to have a good trip with Alice, and then he could take the coward's way out and leave her a note or something for when she got back. It was an easy out. And really, it would be so much easier for them both if they made a clean break than deal with increasingly infrequent phone calls and emails. Besides, he knew he wouldn't be able to move on and get over his stupid crush, or whatever the hell it was, on Bella if he kept in touch with her. The failed attempt at using Gianna to distract himself was proof enough of that. (What red blooded, American male would turn town a willing, gorgeous woman? Edward would, that's who, and he'd been disgusted with himself for it.) But this way, he could get on with his life, really enjoy his first year at college... and Bella could simply enjoy being a senior, and he wouldn't have to be eaten alive by jealousy hearing about the fun she was having, and with whom._

_This could actually work, he realized. It would kill him, but it could work._

_Edward had been absolutely dreading having to let Bella go. He didn't know if he could stand actually saying the words 'good bye' to her. There was a part of him that was terrified he'd break down._

_And Edward Cullen didn't break down. Especially not over a girl - a girl who wasn't even his girlfriend._

_Bella wasn't just any girl, though, and he damn well knew it. And therein lay the problem. She would always own a piece of him; she had changed him, for better or worse, and he'd never be able to forget her._

_As if he'd ever want to._

_----_

As she reached for the door handle, Alice turned back and hollered, "Rose!"

Edward glanced at the blond, who simply shrugged before following after her friends. "Who the hell knows with those two?"

The guys watched, bewildered, as their girlfriends disappeared into the restaurant. "Girls are fucking weird," Emmett observed with a shake of his head.

"No shit," Edward scoffed.

"So, Eddie," Jasper drawled, using the much-loathed nickname, "how did things go last night?"

Something in Jasper's voice made Edward instantly suspicious. "Dinner was great," he replied warily.

With a smirk, Jasper appraised Edward carefully. "And I suppose dinner is the only reason you look happy as a pig in shit?"

That was enough to get Emmett jumping on the bandwagon. "Yeah, dude, you look pretty fucking proud of yourself." Edward could almost see the cartoon light bulb appear above Emmett's head when he put two and two together. "Holy shit! You finally nailed her!"

Edward punched Emmett hard in the shoulder in an attempt to shut him up. "Don't be so fucking crude," he growled.

"You did!" Emmett crowed, completely ignoring Edward's annoyance. He looked at Jasper and grinned even wider. "Dude, the E-man finally got laid last night!"

Winding up, Edward landed another blow to his arm. "That's Bella you're talking about, asshole. A little respect, okay?"

Emmett had the decency to look a little contrite, but it didn't last. "Our little boy's growing up, Jazz," he teased.

"Fuck you," Edward grumbled.

Jasper just gave that easy, knowing smile that seemed to be his default expression and nodded. "Suspected as much."

Dragging his hand through his hair in annoyance, Edward glared at his so-called friends. "How'd you know?"

"When Bella asked us to help her out by keeping you busy yesterday afternoon, she seemed kinda anxious," Jasper replied with a shrug. "I figured she must've been planning more than just dinner, if she was that jittery. And when I saw the pair of you just now, it was pretty obvious from your body language."

"Obvious to you, maybe," Emmett corrected. "I just saw the shit-eating grin and figured something had to be up." Obviously cluing in to what he'd just said, he snickered. "Be _up_. Ha! Get it?"

With a sigh, Edward scrubbed his hands over his face. He didn't realize he'd shown his hand that openly or obviously. Hopefully Bella wouldn't be any the wiser. He'd hate for her to feel self-conscious around the guys.

A large hand clapped him on the back and gripped his shoulder in a show of solidarity. "It's all good, man," Jasper promised with a grin. "Don't worry that pretty little head o' yours. We won't give your girl a hard time."

"Nah, that's your job," Emmett guffawed.

Edward rolled his eyes and shrugged off Jasper's hand, heading for the door to Cora's, his friends' laughter following him. The hostess showed them to a table for six, and the boys settled in to wait.

As the minutes ticked by and girls had yet to join them, Edward found himself growing more and more concerned. Finally, they appeared, Bella in the middle and Alice and Rosalie on either side, arms linked. It didn't seem like Bella was particularly happy about it, if her pinked cheeks and slight scowl were anything to go by. As soon as she could manage, Bella slipped from her friends' evil clutches.

"You okay?" Edward asked softly, slipping his arm around her shoulders as she settled into the seat next to him.

"Yeah. I just wasn't expecting to be subjected to the goddamn Spanish Inquisition," Bella grumbled, shooting the evil eye at Rose and Alice.

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition," the others chorused loudly, earning startled glares from several nearby diners. An older woman cleared her throat while staring disdainfully at the bunch of them, and they dissolved into muffled giggles.

At least that had successfully lightened the mood at the table.

"Less laughing, more foooooooood," Emmett drawled, pushing back his chair and doing his best drooling Homer Simpson impression as he bee-lined for the buffet.

"I swear to god, if I didn't know how smart he really was, I'd think my boyfriend was a moron," Rose lamented as she followed after him.

Jasper and Alice stood and looked askance at the remaining couple. "You guys coming?" Alice wondered.

"In a minute," Edward replied, tightening his arm around Bella's shoulders just enough to communicate he wanted her to stay seated. "You guys go so you don't have to wrestle Em for the tray of bacon."

The two exchanged a knowing look, but linked hands and went off to join Rose and Emmett at the buffet. Once they were safely out of earshot, Edward turned his attention back to Bella, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Really, are you okay?"

She sighed and nodded. "Just a bit embarrassed," she admitted. "Alice and Rose know about last night. Al said she could tell because I was 'glowing'," Bella rolled her eyes, "whatever the hell she means by that."

Edward was well aware that Bella was a rather private person. It had taken months of talking before she began to open up at all to him, and even then, some topics were carefully avoided. If he got too close to something she didn't want to discuss, she'd steer him in another direction. She never even really learned to confide in her girl friends about truly personal things, unlike most of the girls he'd known in the past. Much to Alice's annoyance, he was sure. So to have something like this suddenly be common knowledge among their friends doubtlessly made her uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry," he said, sincerity coloring his tone. "If I'd known they'd pounce on us like that…"

Bella groaned and covered her face with her hands, speaking through splayed fingers. "Jazz and Em, too?"

"Yeah," he admitted, and Bella whimpered. "If either of those idiots says anything to you, tell me and kick their asses, okay?"

She snorted out a laugh and lowered her hands. Not hiding was a good sign. "My hero," she deadpanned, and Edward mock-bowed – which wasn't easy to do, sitting at a table.

"Seriously, Bella, are you all right with all this?"

Taking a deep breath, Bella let it out slowly and nodded. "Yeah. It's not like we didn't expect this would happen."

Edward quirked an eyebrow at her. "What, us sleeping together or them giving us hell about it?"

"Both," she admitted, lips curling into a lopsided smile that he couldn't resist kissing.

"C'mon, let's get you fed." He stood and tugged her to feet, then ducked down until his lips were right by her ear. "You need to keep up your strength. I've got plans for you later."

The shiver that ran through Bella brought a grin to his face, and she glared up at him. "You? Are evil."

"But you love me," Edward gloated happily, leading her towards the expanse of food items.

"I do," she relented, albeit grudgingly, and gave his hand a squeeze. "Not sure why sometimes, but I do."

He planned on spending the rest of the weekend reminding her.

_**

* * *

A few things I need to mention...**_

_**1. While I didn't win any of the Moonlight Awards I was nominated for a while back (thank you for voting, though!), now I'm up for three Mystic Awards: Mrs. Perfect (best Bella), Mr. Perfect (best Edward, essentially), and Golden Fingers ('best' author). Voting ends Friday, October 9, so go vote for your faves! [http://] themysticawards [dot] webs [dot] com**_

_**2. I'm outing myself to my fellow Twifans for the sake of my other hobby. I've recently revamped my photography website, in an attempt to make a few sales before the end of the year. I'm *this* close to getting on Mr. Government's hit list. So if you feel so inclined, take a peek: www [dot] jenstlouisphotography [dot] com If by any chance you find something you like, just put 'alicedances' in the comments field, and I'll give you a 30% discount on your order. A special deal, Twifan to Twifan. ;-)**_

_**3. A big THANK YOU to the ladies over at PPSS for featuring MIA this week. You rock, and I love you. :D**_

_**4. I think there's only one more regular chapter after this one, and then the epilogue. This makes me very sad, because I really love these kids. I'm going to miss them somethin' awful. **sniffles** That said, if you want to know when I start posting my next fic, make sure you've got me on Author Alert. Not entirely sure when I'll be able to start working on the new one, but I *will* write another fic. I just need to flesh out a couple of ideas.**_


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